High Court of Appeal of the Four Free Cities
Oberappellationsgericht der vier Freien Städte ( German)
The Willy Brandt House, Lübeck, which formerly housed the court
53°52′11″N 10°41′22″E / 53.86973°N 10.68950°E / 53.86973; 10.68950
Established	1820 (1820)
Dissolved	30 September 1879 (1879-09-30)
Jurisdiction	Bremen (1820–1879) Lübeck (1820–1879) Hamburg (1820–1879) Frankfurt (1820–1867)
Location	Lübeck, German Confederation
Coordinates	53°52′11″N 10°41′22″E / 53.86973°N 10.68950°E / 53.86973; 10.68950
Language	German

The Oberappellationsgericht der vier Freien Städte (English: Court of Appeal of the Four Free Cities ^[1]), since 1867 the Oberappellationsgericht der Freien Hansestädte (English: High Court of Appeal of the Free Hanseatic Cities), seated in Lübeck was an appeals court of the German Confederation and the North German Confederation with territorial jurisdiction for Bremen, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Lübeck. Frankfurt was removed from the court's jurisdiction in 1867 after its annexation by Prussia. In 1870 the court lost its subject-matter jurisdiction for commercial law to the Reichsoberhandelsgericht and was altogether abolished in 1879.

The court was considered to be the most influential German court of its time due to its exemplary combination of theory and practice. ^{[2] [3]}

Establishment of the court (1806–1820)

After the disintegration of the Holy Roman Empire the Oberappellationsgericht der vier Freien Städte was established as the third and last court of appeal in civil and criminal matters for the former free imperial cities Bremen, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg and Lübeck, as well as Bergedorf. ^[4]

The legal basis for the court was Article 12 paragraph 3 of the German Federal Act of 1815 ("The four free cities are entitled to unite among themselves on the establishment of a common supreme court.") ^[4] The inclusion of this paragraph in the Federal Act was an exception in favour of the Free Cities, which even together did not have the number of 300,000 "souls" that were in principle a prerequisite for the formation of a supreme court according to Article 12, paragraph 1. Because there was initially resistance to the establishment of a higher court, especially in Hamburg and Lübeck, in particular due to the feared loss of power of the senates vis-à-vis an independent judiciary, it took 14 years from the original initiative of Bremen in 1806 to its implementation.

Workings of the court from 1820 to 1879

In 1820, the court began its operations. The court consisted of a president, normally 6 judges, a secretary and two registrars. The court initially had 8 and from 1831 six procurators. One of these procurators was Friedrich Crome from 1856.

Under its first president, Georg Arnold Heise – a co-founder of the German Historical School –, who presided over the court from 1820 until his death in Lübeck in 1851, the court gained a high reputation. With regard to him, Bernhard Windscheid expressed the view that the two highest honours for a jurist in Germany were to succeed Friedrich Carl von Savigny on his chair in Berlin or to take Heise's place in Lübeck. ^[5] Through Heinrich Thöl [ de] in particular, the court had a considerable influence on the development of German commercial law.

Outside its jurisdiction, it was first chosen by Bavaria and Prussia and later also from time to time by other states as a court of arbitration in disputes between states. In addition, the court was responsible for examining aspiring jurists from the four cities.

The court's second president, Karl Georg von Wächter, was in office for just under a year from 1851 to 1852, until he returned to university.

Under the third and last president, Johann Friedrich Martin Kierulff, serving from 1852 until the court's dissolution in 1879, the court gained jurisdiction as the first and last instance for cases of high treason and treason against the state in the North German Confederation, but otherwise had to relinquish more and more competencies.

First of all, Frankfurt left the association on 1 January 1867 after losing its sovereignty due to the Prussian annexation, whereupon the name of the court was changed to Oberappellationsgericht der Freien Hansestädte for short. This was followed by the transfer of subject-matter jurisdiction for commercial law to the Reichsoberhandelsgericht in Leipzig and finally, with the reorganisation of the court constitution by the Reichsjustizgesetze [ de], the court was dissolved on 30 September 1879. Proceedings were taken over by the Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht in Hamburg or the Reichsgericht in Leipzig, depending on subject-matter jurisdiction.

Rudolf von Jhering in 1879 paid tribute to the court in an obituary of Agathon Wunderlich – a judge of the court who died in 1878 – and described it as the "as the learned court of Germany". ^[6]

Thus, the Lübeck Court of Appeal could be described as the learned court of Germany, and German legal science has passed the test, to which it was called here in connection with legal practice, with glory; the Lübeck judgments were among those to which the practitioner as well as the theorist paid tribute in equal measure, there were true masterpieces among them, uniform in form and content, achievements that outweighed entire thick legal monographs on a few pages

— Rudolf von Jhering

Successor courts and institutions

The Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht retained jurisdiction for Lübeck within the scope of its subject-matter jurisdiction (especially in civil law matters) until the abolition of Lübeck's statehood in 1937. Afterwards, Lübeck came under the jurisdiction of the Oberlandesgericht Kiel until the Schleswig-Holsteinisches Oberlandesgericht [ de] was formed after the Second World War. For Bremen, the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg retained jurisdiction responsible until the Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht in Bremen [ de] was established in 1947. For appeals against judgements of the Prussian Court of Appeal in Frankfurt, the Preußisches Obertribunal (the Prussian Supreme Tribunal) in Berlin was the court of last instance after Frankfurt left the jurisdiction of the Oberappellationsgericht der vier Freien Städte. Since 1879, Frankfurt has also been the seat of a Higher Regional Court.

In 1890, as compensation for the loss of the Oberappellationsgericht der vier Freien Städte, Lübeck became the seat of the Hanseatic Insurance Institution (the Hanseatische Versicherungsanstalt, later the State Insurance Institution of the Hanseatic Cities), which was responsible for the disability and old-age insurance of employees in the three Hanseatic cities of Hamburg, Bremen and Lübeck due to the efforts of Senator Karl Peter Klügmann [ de]. This, too, went to Hamburg in 1937 with the loss of statehood through the Greater Hamburg Act.

Courthouse

The court was or a short time based in Schüsselbuden No. 15 (Lübeck), then in Königstraße No. 21 (Lübeck), the former house of the Lübeck Zirkelgesellschaft [ de]. ^[7]

After 1879 the courthouse was used by the Lübeck State Archives [ de] under the first state archivist Carl Friedrich Wehrmann [ de]. In 1936, the state archives passed it on to the public library, which gave it to the Katharineum, among others, after completing its extension buildings in Hundestraße.

The listed building was extensively renovated and converted into an education, meeting and memorial centre for the German Chancellor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Willy Brandt, who was born in Lübeck. ^[7] On 18 December 2007, the Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt Foundation [ de] opened the Willy Brandt House, Lübeck, a branch office of the foundation. The building was made available by the city free of charge and is used by both the foundation and the municipal office for the preservation of historical monuments. The renovation, which cost almost 2.8 million euros, was supported by the German Foundation for Monument Protection.

Collection of decisions

The decisions of the court have been published in different collections. An important collection was the one published by the court's third president, Johann Friedrich Kierulff [ de], named " Sammlung der Entscheidungen des Oberappellationsgerichts der vier freien Städte zu Lübeck". The case collection has been published in seven volumes and covers the years from 1865 to 1872. ^[8]

Judges of the court

Presidents of the court

No.	Portrait	Judge	Took office	Left office	Ref.
1		Heise, Georg Arnold Georg Arnold Heise (1778–1851)	13 November 1820 (1820-11-13)	1850 (1850)	[9] [10]
2		Wächter, Karl Georg von Karl Georg von Wächter (1797–1880)	1851 (1851)	1852 (1852)	[9]
3		Kierulf, Johann Friedrich Johann Friedrich Kierulff [ de] (1806–1894)	30 December 1853 (1853-12-30)	1879 (1879)	[9] [11]

Judges of the court

No.	Portrait	Judge	Took office	Left office	Ref.
1		Hach, Johann Friedrich Johann Friedrich Hach [ de] (1769–1851)	13 November 1820 (1820-11-13)	1850 or 1851 (1850 or 1851)	[9] [10] [12]
2		Müller, Gottfried SamuelGottfried Samuel Müller (1776–1842)	13 November 1820 (1820-11-13)	10 February 1842 (1842-02-10) (died)	[9] [13] [12]
3		Pfeiffer, Burkhard Wilhelm Burkhard Wilhelm Pfeiffer (1777–1852)	13 November 1820 (1820-11-13)	24 October 1821 (1821-10-24)	[9] [14]
4		Cropp, Friedrich Friedrich Cropp [ de] (1790–1832)	13 November 1820 (1820-11-13)	8 August 1832 (1832-08-08) (died)	[9] [13] [14]
5		Lüder, Arnold Ludwig Georg Christian PhilippArnold Ludwig Georg Christian Philipp Lüder (1784–1823)	12 April 1821 (1821-04-12)	23 January 1823 (1823-01-23) (died)	[9] [14]
6		Schweppe, Albrecht Albrecht Schweppe [ de] (1783–1829)	8 January 1822 (1822-01-08) (or 1821)	23 May 1829 (1829-05-23)	[9] [13] [14]
7		Gruner, Carl Gustav AdolphCarl Gustav Adolph Gruner (born 1778)	17 September 1822 (1822-09-17)	2 May 1826 (1826-05-02)	[9] [13] [14]
8		Overbeck, Christian Gerhard Christian Gerhard Overbeck (1784–1846)	28 May 1824 (1824-05-28)	29 January 1846 (1846-01-29) (died)	[9] [15] [14]
9		du Roi, Georg August Wilhelm Georg August Wilhelm du Roi [ de] (1787–1853)	11 October 1826 (1826-10-11)	1853 (1853)	[9] [10] [16]
10		Goll, Ignatz MariaIgnatz Maria Goll (1774–1848)	26 February 1830 (1830-02-26)	1848 (1848)	[9] [10] [16]
11		Blume, Friedrich Friedrich Bluhme [ de] (1797–1874)	6 June 1833 (1833-06-06)	16 April 1843 (1843-04-16)	[9] [10] [16]
12		Oppenheimer, Georg Friedrich Ludwig Georg Friedrich Ludwig Oppenheimer [ de] (1805–1884)	31 August 1842 (1842-08-31)	1853 (1853)	[9] [10] [16]
13		Pauli, Carl Wilhelm Carl Wilhelm Pauli [ de] (1792–1879)	4 July 1843 (1843-07-04)	31 December 1876 (1876-12-31)	[9] [17] [16]
14		Laspeyres, Ernst Adolf Theodor Ernst Adolf Theodor Laspeyres [ de] (1800–1869)	12 August 1846 (1846-08-12) or 1843	1876 (1876)	[9] [11] [16]
15		Wiederhold, Ludwig Heinrich Ludwig Heinrich Wiederhold [ de] (1801–1850)	25 November 1846 (1846-11-25)	8 March 1850 (1850-03-08) (died)	[9] [16]
16		Wunderlich, Gottlob Friedrich Walter Agathon Gottlob Friedrich Walter Agathon Wunderlich (1810–1878)	13 November 1850 (1850-11-13)	1878 (1878)	[9] [11] [16]
17		Brandis, Hermann Friedrich Brandis Hermann Friedrich Brandis [ de] (1809–1893)	13 June 1851 (1851-06-13) or 1852	1879 (1879)	[9] [11]
18		Voigt, Johann Friedrich Johann Friedrich Voigt [ de] (1806–1886)	15 December 1853 (1853-12-15)	1870 (1870)	[9] [11]
19		Zimmermann, Ernst Wilhelm Louis Carl Ernst Wilhelm Louis Carl Zimmermann [ de] (1812–1877)	16 June 1854 (1854-06-16)	1877 (1877)	[9] [11]
20		Drechsler, Carl August Eduard Carl August Eduard Drechsler [ de] (1821–1897)	2 May 1864 (1864-05-02) or 1854	1877 (1877)	[9] [18]
21		Eckermann, Rudolph Heinrich AntonRudolph Heinrich Anton Eckermann	1871 (1871)	1879 (1879)	[9]
22		Schlesinger, Christian David Rudolf Christian David Rudolf Schlesinger [ de] (1831–1912)	18 October 1870 (1870-10-18)	1879 (1879)	[9]
23		John, Richard Eduard Richard Eduard John [ de] (1827–1889)	18 October 1870 (1870-10-18)	1879 (1879)	[9]
24		Lehmann, Carl August Ludwig Friedrich Carl August Ludwig Friedrich Lehmann [ de] (1833–1909)	22 May 1876 (1876-05-22)	1879 (1879)	[9] [17]
25		Hoppenstedt, Carl Ernst August Ludwig Carl Ernst August Ludwig Hoppenstedt [ de] (1834–1910)	5 April 1877 (1877-04-05)	1879 (1879)	[9] [17]
26		Ritter, Georg HeinrichGeorg Heinrich Ritter	11 October 1877 (1877-10-11)	1879 (1879)	[9] [17]

References

Citations

Sources

• Hamburg (1825). Reinke, J. T. (ed.). Hamburgischer Staats-Kalender auf das Jahr 1825 (in German). Hamburg: Nestler & Melle. pp.  62.
• Hamburg (1843). Köster, J. C. (ed.). Hamburgischer Staats-Kalender auf das Jahr 1843 (in German). Hamburg: Nestler & Melle. pp.  64.
• Hamburg (1856). Schubad, F. G. (ed.). Hamburgischer Staats-Kalender auf das Jahr 1856 (in German). Hamburg: Nestler & Melle. pp.  72.
• Hamburg (1865). Hamburgischer Staats-Kalender auf das Jahr 1865 (in German). Hamburg: Nestler & Melle. pp.  56.
• Hamburg (1879). Hamburgischer Staats-Kalender auf das Jahr 1879 (in German). Hamburg: Nestler & Melle. pp.  71.
• von Bippen, Wilhelm (1852). Georg Arnold Heise: Mittheilungen aus dessen Leben (in German). Halle: Schwetschke.
• Maetschke, Matthias (2014). "Review: Borgers, Tim, Das Oberappellationsgericht zu Lübeck und seine Rechtsprechung zum Aktienrecht. Eine Auswertung der Rechtsprechung unter Berücksichtigung der aktienrechtlichen Literatur des 19. Jahrhunderts". Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte: Germanistische Abteilung (in German). 131 (1): 509–510. doi: 10.7767/zrgga-2014-0127. ISSN  2304-4861. S2CID  187757089.
• Oestmann, Peter (2009). "The Unification of Law via the Institution of Jurisdiction in the 19th Century: Commercial Law before the High Court of Appeal of the Four Free Cities of Germany" (PDF). Juridica International. XVI: 224–230. ISSN  1860-5605.
• ———————— (2012). "Seehandelsrechtliche Streitigkeiten vor dem Oberappellationsgericht der vier freien Städte Deutschlands (1820–1848)". In Cordes, Albrecht; Dauchy, Serge (eds.). Eine Grenze in Bewegung / Une frontière mouvante (in German). De Gruyter. pp. 221–264. doi: 10.1515/9783110446722-014. ISBN  9783486717990. S2CID  184524575.
• Welzel, Marcel (2020). "Das Oberappellationsgericht in Lübeck – ein kurzer Nachruf aus Anlass seiner Einsetzung vor 200 Jahren" (PDF). Schleswig-Holsteinische Anzeigen (in German). 2020 (11): 444.

Further reading

• Blume, Friedrich (1843). Die Gerichtsordnung für das Oberappellationsgericht der vier Freien Städte Deutschlands, nebst den darauf bezüglichen Gesetzen der einzelnen Städte und den allgemeinen Verfügungen des Gerichts (in German). Hamburg: Perthes.
• Borgers, Tim (2012). Das Oberappellationsgericht zu Lübeck und seine Rechtsprechung zum Aktienrecht: eine Auswertung der Rechtsprechung unter Berücksichtigung der aktienrechtlichen Literatur des 19. Jahrhunderts (in German). Hamburg: Dr. Kovač. ISBN  978-3-8300-6681-1.
• Frensdorff, Ferdinand (1880), " Heise, Georg Arnold", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 11, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 666–669.
• Haferkamp, Hans-Peter (2011). "Pandektistik und Gerichtspraxis" (PDF). Quaderni Fiorentini per la Storia del Pensiero Giuridico Moderno (in German). 40: 177–211.
• Heise, Georg Arnold; Cropp, Friedrich (1827). Juristische Abhandlungen mit Entscheidungen des Oberappellationsgerichts der vier freien Städte Deutschlands (in German). Vol. I. Hamburg: Perthes.
• Heise, Georg Arnold; Cropp, Friedrich (1830). Juristische Abhandlungen mit Entscheidungen des Oberappellationsgerichts der vier freien Städte Deutschlands (in German). Vol. II. Hamburg: Perthes.
• Kusserow, Boto (1964). Das gemeinschaftliche Oberappellationsgericht der vier freien Städte Deutschlands zu Lübeck und seine Rechtsprechung in Handelssachen (in German).
• Oestmann, Peter (10 May 2011). "Zum Richterleitbild im 19. Jahrhundert: Das Beispiel des Oberappellationsgerichts der vier freien Städte Deutschlands". Forum Historiae Iuris (in German).
• ———————— (2016). "Court Records as Sources for the History of Commercial Law: The Oberappellationsgericht Lübeck as a Commercial Court (1820–1879)". In Pihlajamäki, Heikki; Cordes, Albrecht; Dauchy, Serge; Dave (eds.). Understanding the Sources of Early Modern and Modern Commercial Law: Courts, Statutes, Contracts, and Legal Scholarship. Brill Nijhoff. pp. 364–386. doi: 10.1163/9789004363144_017. ISBN  978-90-04-36314-4.
• Polgar, Katalin (2007). Das Oberappellationsgericht der vier freien Städte Deutschlands (1820–1879) und seine Richterpersönlichkeiten (in German). Frankfurt am Main: Lang. ISBN  978-3-631-55602-3.
• Tirtasana, Nora (2012). Der gelehrte Gerichtshof: Das Oberappellationsgericht Lübeck und die Praxis des Zivilprozesses im 19. Jahrhundert (in German). Cologne: Böhlau. doi: 10.7788/boehlau.9783412214968. ISBN  978-3-412-20842-4.

External links

•  German Wikisource has original text related to this article: Oberappellationsgericht der vier Freien Städte.