Greetings to all,

Those, like me, who are interested in German private law but cannot read German will be very happy to learn of the forthcoming publication of an English-language commentary on the BGB, edited by Gerhard Dannemann and Reiner Schulze. Information (and a discounted order form) about the first of two volumes is attached. This volume will cover the BGB’s Books 1-3 (General Part, Obligations, and Property Law). Vol II, which will cover the remaining Books 4 and 5 on Family Law and Inheritance Law, is expected to appear late in 2021.

You will see that volume I contains 2,322 pages so the commentary is quite detailed; although by German standards, Gerhard describes it in the attached introduction as a ‘handy reference guide’ (with one well-known commentary running to 73,000 pages).

The introduction also explains that the commentary is not a translation of a German commentary, which would presuppose certain basic knowledge of German law. Rather, it is entirely original, and written with the non-German jurist in mind. RDG members will not be surprised to know that Gerhard himself, a brilliant comparative lawyer, has written most of the commentary for the topics related to restitution and unjust enrichment, including improvements to another’s property (which is not part of the German law of unjust enrichment), and also for the contracts of mandate and (with Reiner Schulze) gift.

Lionel