Development of the academic discipline «Encyclopaedia of law» in Germany in XVIII–XIX centuries

Abstract

The article deals consecutively with the beginning, development, heyday and downturn of the academic discipline of encyclopaedia of l aw in Germany with special accent on the period of XVIIIXIX centuries. The author presents the review of the most significant German encyclopaedias of law, edited since XVI until XIX centuries and the characteristics of its content. The paper includes the brief biographies of famous German lawyers-encyclopaedists such as Daniel Nettelbladt, Johann Stephan Ptter, Gustav Hugo, Heinrich Ahrens, Adolf Merkel (and the others), data on their main works and crucial views. The author observes the change of name and content of encyclopaedia of law as a legal academic discipline, its mutual influence on history, philosophy and legal academic disciplines. The article demonstrates the vast historical and theoretical material from the works of Russian pre-revolutionary lawyers such as N. M. Korkunov, N. K. Rennenkampf, F. V. Taranovsky, G. F. Shershenevich who researched in details the issues on becoming of encyclopaedia of law both as science and as an academic discipline. The author also enumerates the universities where the encyclopedia of law was taught as an academic discipline and presents some of its names.