Bernhard Windscheid


Bernhard Windscheid was a German jurist and a member of the pandectistic school of law thought.
He became famous with his essay on the concept of a legal action, which sparkled a debate with Theodor Muther that is said to have initiated the studies of the processal law as we know it today. Windscheid's thesis established the modern German law concept of Anspruch, distinguishing it from the Roman law concept of actio.
His principal work was his Lehrbuch des Pandektenrechts, and this was the main source of inspiration for the German Civil Code BGB. Between 1873 and 1883, Windscheid took part in the commission in charge of the drafting of the German Civil Code.
Additionally, Windscheid worked as a teacher at several universities in Germany and Switzerland, including Basel,
Greifswald, München, Heidelberg, and Leipzig.

Family

Bernhard Windscheid married the artist :de:Charlotte Pochhammer|Auguste Eleanore Charlotte "Lotte" Pochhammer on 4 November 1858. Four recorded children resulted from this marriage. The eldest, Käthe Windscheid achieved prominence as a women's rights activist and as a pioneer of women's education. :de:Franz Windscheid|Franz Winscheid was also something of a pioneer in his chosen field: he was a neurologist. The younger two children, Charlotte and Margarete, were twins.
Notable students

Main Works

  • Zur Lehre des Code Napoleon von der Ungültigkeit der Rechtsgeschäfte, Düsseldorf 1847.
  • Die Lehre des römischen Rechts von der Voraussetzung, Düsseldorf 1850.
  • Die Actio des römischen Civilrechts vom Standpunkte des heutigen Rechts, Düsseldorf 1856.
  • Zwei Fragen aus der Lehre von der Verpflichtung wegen ungerechtfertigter Bereicherung, 1878.
  • Lehrbuch des Pandektenrechts.
  • * first published, Düsseldorf 1862–1870.
  • * 3. ed., Düsseldorf 1870.
  • * 5. ed., Stuttgart 1879.
  • * 6. ed., Frankfurt a. M. 1887.
  • * 9. ed., Leipzig, 1906, edited by Theodor Kipp, is the edition usually cited.
  • Gesammelte Reden und Abhandlungen. Leipzig, 1904.