German Civil Code

German Civil Code - known in German as Buergerliches Gesetzbuch (abbreviated as BGB) - encompasses the doctrine on German civil laws. It is an extensive piece of legislation which addresses German private law - i.e. matters between an individual and another individual or company. Civil laws relating to family law, property law, inheritance law, as well as regulations with regards to employment contracts can all be found in the BGB.

This doctrine is over 120 years, finalized in 1900, and still staying strong and has been influential far beyond Germany; It has acted as a blueprint for other governments in their creation of labor law doctrine. Over the years, there have been amendments made to ensure its relevance for modern times.

The code is comprised of five distinct books, they are:

• General part (Allgemeiner Teil) - basic rules from the following four books, i.e. general synopsis

• Law of obligations (Recht der Schuldverhältnisse) –generally includes regulations with regards to all types of contracts (including employment contracts)

• Property law (Sachenrecht) – rules in relation to ownership and possession of all types of property

• Family law (Familienrecht )– marriage, divorce, custody and matters related to family

• Inheritance law (Erbrecht) – rules related to wills, inheritance, trusts and their benefactors would be outlined here

If you’re interested in reading it in full, you can check it out here (be warned, its not exactly short!).