Antiquarian Library

A collection of links is gradually being compiled here, focusing on out-of-print works – particularly on criminal law – dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, which are freely accessible on the internet.

For older (including specialist) literature on criminal law, see also the catalogues at:

Böhmer, Handbook of Criminal Law Literature, 1818 (here)
Kappler, Handbook of Criminal Law Literature, 1838 (here)

Work in progress

Textbooks and handbooks on the system of (general part of) criminal law

18th century

1731

Dietrich Hermann Kemmerich (1677–1745)

Synopsis Jvris Criminalis,

1st ed. 1731 (external link, opens in a new window)

Edition 1755 (external link, opens in a new window)

Edition 1768 (external link, opens in a new window)

Edition 1777 (?)

-> No German translation known (though desirable in the long term)

1732

Johann Samuel Friedrich Böhmer (1704–1772)

Elementa Ivrisprvdentiae Criminalis,

1st ed. 1732 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd ed. 1738 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd ed. 1743 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th ed. 1749 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th ed. 1757 (external link, opens in a new window)

6th edition 1766 (external link, opens in a new window)

Edition 1774 (external link, opens in a new window)

-> No German translation known (though desirable in the long term)

1738

Johann Rudolph Engau (1708–1755)

Elementa Ivris Criminalis Germanico-Carolini,

1st ed. 1738 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd ed. 1742 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd ed. 1748 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th ed. 1753 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th ed. 1760 (external link, opens in a new window)

6th edition 1767 (external link, opens in a new window)

7th edition 1777 (external link, opens in a new window)

-> No German translation known (though desirable in the long term)

1755

Christian Friedrich Georg (“the Elder”) Meister (1718–1782)

Principia Ivris Criminalis Germaniae Commvnis,

1st edition 1755 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd ed. 1760 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd ed. 1767 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th ed. 1774 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th ed. 1780 (external link, opens in a new window)

6th edition 1792

-> No German translation known (though desirable in the long term)

1756

Regner Engelhard (1717–1777)

An Attempt at a General Criminal Law Based on the Principles of Universal Wisdom and, in Particular, the Law of Nature,

1st edition, 1756 (external link, opens in a new window)

1758

Johann Christoph Koch (1732–1808)

Institutions of Criminal Law,

1st ed. 1758 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1763

3rd ed. 1770 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th ed. 1775 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th ed. 1779

6th edition 1783 (external link, opens in a new window)

7th edition, 1786 (external link, opens in a new window)

8th edition, 1788 (external link, opens in a new window)

9th edition, 1791 (external link, opens in a new window)

-> Principles of Criminal Law,

Translation 1790 (external link, opens in a new window)

1770

Johann Christian von Quistorp (1737–1795)

Principles of German Criminal Law,

1st ed. 1770 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd ed. 1776 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd ed. 1783 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 1:

4th edition 1789 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th edition 1794 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2:

4th edition, 1789 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th edition, 1794 (external link, opens in a new window)

posthumous editions:

6th (unauthorised) edition, 1796

Part 1: 6th edition, 1796 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2: 6th edition, 1796 (external link, opens in a new window)

6th (authorised) edition, 1810–1812

Vol. 1, Part 1: 6th edition, 1810 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 1, Part 2: 6th edition, 1810 (external link, opens in a new window)

Volume 2: 6th edition, 1812 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 3, Part 1: 6th edition, 1821 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 3, Part 2: 6th edition, 1821 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 4: 6th ed. 1828 (external link, opens in a new window)

1779

Josias Ludwig Ernst Püttmann (1730–1796)

Elementa Ivris Criminalis,

1st ed. 1779 (external link, opens in a new window)

Published in 1802 (external link, opens in a new window)

-> No German translation known (though desirable in the long term)

1789

Georg Jacob Friedrich (“the Younger”) Meister (1755–1832)

Principia Ivris Criminalis Germaniae Commvnis,

1st ed. 1789 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd ed. 1792 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd ed. 1798 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th ed. 1802 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th ed. 1811

6th edition 1819 (external link, opens in a new window)

7th edition, 1828

> No German translation is known (though one would be desirable in the long term)

1790

Johann Lorenz Dorn

An Attempt at a Practical Commentary on Criminal Law,

Vol. 1: 1st ed. 1790 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 2: 1st ed. 1791 (external link, opens in a new window)

Christian Julius Ludwig Steltzer (1758–1831)

Principles of Criminal Law,

Part 1, 1790 (external link, opens in a new window)

1793

Christian Julius Ludwig Steltzer (1758–1831)

Textbook on German Criminal Law,

1st ed. 1793 (external link, opens in a new window)

1794

Gallus Aloysius Casper Kleinschrod (1762–1824)

A Systematic Exposition of the Fundamental Concepts and Principles of Criminal Law in Accordance with the Nature of the Matter and Positive Legislation,

Part 1: Crimes & Liability

1st ed. 1794 (external link, opens in a new window); 2nd ed. 1799 (external link, opens in a new window); 3rd ed. 1805 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2: Punishment & Application

1st ed. 1794 (external link, opens in a new window); 2nd ed. 1799 (external link, opens in a new window); 3rd ed. 1805 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 3: Punishments

1st ed. 1796 (external link, opens in a new window); 2nd ed. 1799 (external link, opens in a new window); 3rd ed. 1805 (external link, opens in a new window)

1795

Christoph Carl Stübel (1764–1828)

System of General Criminal Law,

Volume 1: 1st edition 1795 (external link, opens in a new window)

Volume 2: 1st edition 1795 (external link, opens in a new window)

1796

Ernst Ferdinand Klein (1744–1810)

Principles of Common German and Prussian Criminal Law,

1st edition 1796 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1799 (external link, opens in a new window)

1797

Heinrich Christian Ernst Kölle

Principles of General German and Prussian Criminal Law,

1st edition 1797 (external link, opens in a new window)

1798

Carl Ludwig Wilhelm Grolman (1775–1829)

Principles of Criminal Law, together with a systematic exposition of the spirit of German criminal laws,

1st ed. 1798 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1805 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd ed. 1818 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th ed. 1825 (external link, opens in a new window)

1799

Carl Ludwig Wilhelm Grolman (1775–1829)

On the Foundations of Criminal Law and Criminal Legislation, together with a Development of the Doctrine of the Proportionality of Punishments and Legal Imputation,

1st edition 1799 (external link, opens in a new window)

Karl August Gründler (1769–1843)

Principles of German Criminal Law,

1st ed. 1799 (external link, opens in a new window)

1799/1800

Feuerbach, Paul Johann Anselm ( 1775–1833)

A Review of the Principles and Basic Concepts of Positive Criminal Law,

Part 1, 1799 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2, 1800 (external link, opens in a new window)

Appendix 1800 (external link, opens in a new window) (On Punishment as a Means of Prevention)

19th century

1801

Paul Johann Anselm Feuerbach (1775–1833)

Textbook on the Criminal Law Generally Applicable in Germany,

1st ed. 1801 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd ed. 1803 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd ed. 1805 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th ed. 1808 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th ed. 1812 (external link, opens in a new window)

6th edition 1818

7th edition, 1820 (external link, opens in a new window)

8th edition, 1823 (external link, opens in a new window)

9th edition, 1826 (external link, opens in a new window)

10th edition, 1828

11th edition, 1832 (external link, opens in a new window)

12th ed. 1836 (external link, opens in a new window) (published posthumously by Mittermaier)

13th edition, 1840 (external link, opens in a new window) (edited posthumously by Mittermaier)

14th ed. 1847 (external link, opens in a new window) (edited posthumously by Mittermaier)

1803

Ludwig Harscher von Almendingen (1766–1827)

An Exposition of Legal Imputation,

1st edition, 1803 (external link, opens in a new window)

Christoph Carl Stübel (1764–1828)

Principles for the Lecture on the General Part of German and Chursaxon Criminal Law, together with an Introduction and Overview of the Entire Science of Criminal Law,

1st edition 1803 (external link, opens in a new window)

1805

Christoph Carl Stübel (1764–1828)

On the elements of criminal offences, their perpetrators and the certainty of the former required for a conviction, particularly with regard to homicide,

1st ed. 1805 (external link, opens in a new window)

Johann Christian Daniel Salchow (1782–1829)

An Exposition of the Doctrine of Punishments and Crimes,

Volume 1: 1st edition 1804 (external link, opens in a new window)

Volume 2: 1st edition 1805 (external link, opens in a new window)

Karl Salomo Zachariä (1769–1843)

Fundamentals of Philosophical Criminal Law,

1st edition 1805 (external link, opens in a new window)

1806

Carl August Tittmann (1764–1828)

Handbook of Criminal Law and German Jurisprudence,
= Handbook of General German Criminal Law,

1st edition

Part 1: 1806 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2: 1807 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 3: 1809 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 4: 1810 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition

Vol. 1: 1822 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 2: 1823 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 3: 1824 (external link, opens in a new window)

1807

Christoph Christian Dabelow (1768–1830)

Textbook on General German Criminal Law,

1st ed. 1807 (external link, opens in a new window)

Johann Christian Salchow (1782–1829)

Textbook on the General Criminal Law in Force in Germany,

1st edition 1807

2nd edition 1817

3rd ed. 1823 (external link, opens in a new window)

1812

Eduard Nicolaus Kratzer

System of Criminal Law,

Vol. 1: 1st edition 1812 (external link, opens in a new window)

1815

Herrmann Wilhelm Eduard Henke (1783–1869)

Textbook of Criminal Law,

1st edition 1815 (external link, opens in a new window)

1818

Karl August Wilhelm Schröter

Handbook of Criminal Law,

Vol. 1: 1st ed. 1818 (external link, opens in a new window)

1821

Konrad Franz Eugen Roßhirt (1793–1873)

Textbook on Criminal Law based on the sources of common German law and with particular regard to the presentation of roman law,

1st edition 1821 (external link, opens in a new window)

1823

Herrmann Wilhelm Eduard Henke (1783–1869)

Handbook of Criminal Law and Criminal Policy,

Part 1: 1st edition 1823 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2: 1st edition 1826 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 3: 1st edition 1830 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 4: 1st edition 1838 (external link, opens in a new window)

Johann Georg August Wirth (1798–1848)

Handbook of Criminal Law and Criminal Legislation,

Vol. 1: 1st edition 1823

1825

Anton Bauer (1772–1843)

Fundamentals of Philosophical Criminal Law,

1st edition 1825 (external link, opens in a new window)

Christoph Reinhard Dietrich Martin ( 1772–1857)

Textbook on German Common Criminal Law,

1st edition 1825 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1829 (external link, opens in a new window)

Carl Georg Wächter (1797–1880)

Textbook on Roman-German criminal law,

Part 1: 1st edition 1825 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2: 1st edition 1826 (external link, opens in a new window)

1826

Julius Friedrich Heinrich Abegg (1796–1868)

A System of Criminal Law as a Foundation for Historical-Dogmatic Lectures on Common and Prussian Criminal Law,

1st edition 1826 (external link, opens in a new window)

1827

Anton Bauer (1772–1843)

Textbook of Criminal Law

1st ed. 1827 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1833 (external link, opens in a new window) (as: Textbook of Criminal Law)

Carl Ernst Jarcke (1801–1852)

Handbook of General German Criminal Law, taking into account the provisions of Prussian, Austrian, Bavarian and French legislation,

Vol. 1: 1st edition 1827 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 2: 1st ed. 1828 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 3: 1st ed. 1830 (external link, opens in a new window)

1828

Konrad Franz Eugen Roßhirt (1793–1873)

The Development of the Principles of Criminal Law Based on the Sources of Common German Law,

1st edition 1828 (external link, opens in a new window)

See also:

Two Treatises on Criminal Law as an Appendix to the Book: Development of the Principles (etc.),

1st ed. 1836 (external link, opens in a new window)

1833

August Wilhelm Heffter (1796–1880)

Textbook on General German Criminal Law, taking into account non-exclusive regional laws,

1st edition 1833 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1840 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd ed. 1846 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th edition 1848 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th ed. 1854 (external link, opens in a new window)

6th edition 1857

Clemens August Carl Klenze (1795–1838)

Textbook on General Criminal Law,

1st edition 1833

1836

Julius Friedrich Heinrich Abegg (1796–1868)

Textbook on the Science of Criminal Law,

1st ed. 1836 (external link, opens in a new window)

Heinrich Luden (1810–1880)

Treatises on Common German Criminal Law,

Vol. 1: On the Attempt to Commit a Crime, 1st ed. 1836 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 2: On the Elements of a Crime, 1st ed. 1840 (external link, opens in a new window)

1840

Anton Bauer (1772–1843)

Treatises on Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure,

Vol. 1: 1st ed. 1840 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 2: 1st ed. 1842 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 3: 1st ed. 1843 (external link, opens in a new window)

1841

Gustav Theodor Ludwig Marezoll (1794–1873)

General German Criminal Law as the Basis for Modern German Criminal Legislation,

1st edition 1841 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1847 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd ed. 1856 (external link, opens in a new window)

1842/1847

Heinrich Luden (1810–1880)

Handbook of German General and Special Criminal Law,

Vol. 1: 1st edition 1847 (external link, opens in a new window)

(presumably published in three instalments: 1st/1842; 2nd/1843; 3rd/1847)

1843

Albert Friedrich Berner (1818–1907)

Fundamentals of the Criminal Law Doctrine of Imputation,

1st edition 1843 (external link, opens in a new window)

1845

Carl Franz Wolf Jerome Häberlin (1813–1898)

Principles of Criminal Law Based on the German Penal Codes,

Vol. 1: 1st ed. 1845 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 2: 1st edition 1847 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 3: 1st ed. 1848 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 4: 1st ed. 1849 (external link, opens in a new window)

Christian Reinhold Köstlin (1813–1856)

A New Revision of the Fundamental Concepts of Criminal Law,

1st edition 1845 (external link, opens in a new window)

1853

Jodocus Donatus Hubertus Temme (1797–1881)

Textbook on Prussian criminal law,

1st ed. 1853 (external link, opens in a new window)

1855

Hugo Philipp Egmont Hälschner (1817–1889)

Prussian Criminal Law,

Part 1: History, 1st ed. 1855 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2: General Part, 1st ed. 1858 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 3: The Criminal Code, 1st edition 1868 (external link, opens in a new window)

Christian Reinhold Köstlin (1813–1856)

System of German Criminal Law – General Part,

1st edition 1855 (external link, opens in a new window)

Jodocus Donatus Hubertus Temme (1797–1881)

Textbook on Swiss Criminal Law Based on the Swiss Penal Codes,

1st edition 1855 (external link, opens in a new window)

1857

Albert Friedrich Berner (1818–1907)

Textbook on German criminal law,

1st edition 1857 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1863 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd edition 1866 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th ed. 1868 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th ed. 1871 (external link, opens in a new window)

6th edition 1872 (external link, opens in a new window)

7th edition, 1874

8th edition, 1876

9th edition, 1877 (external link, opens in a new window)

10th edition, 1879

11th edition, 1881 (external link, opens in a new window)

12th edition, 1882 (external link, opens in a new window)

13th edition, 1884

14th edition, 1886 (external link, opens in a new window)

15th edition, 1888 (external link, opens in a new window)

16th edition, 1891 (external link, opens in a new window)

17th edition, 1895 (external link, opens in a new window)

18th edition, 1898 (external link, opens in a new window)

Eduard Osenbrüggen (1809–1879)

Treatises on German criminal law,

Vol. 1: 1st edition 1857 (external link, opens in a new window)

1858

Leopold Pfeiffer (1821–1881)

General German Criminal Law,

Part 1, 1858 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2, 1860 (external link, opens in a new window)

1859

Ernst Immanuel Bekker (1827–1916)

Theory of Contemporary German Criminal Law,

Vol. 1: 1st ed. 1859 (external link, opens in a new window)

1860

Maximilian von Buri (1825–1902)

On the Doctrine of Complicity in a Crime and Aiding and Abetting,

1st edition 1860 (external link, opens in a new window)

1861

Karl Gustav Geib (1808–1864)

Textbook on German criminal law,

Vol. 1: History, 1st ed. 1861 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 2: System of General Part, 1st ed. 1862 (external link, opens in a new window)

Albert Friedrich Berner (1818–1907)

Principles of Prussian criminal law,

1st edition 1861 (external link, opens in a new window)

1867

Adolf Merkel (1836–1896)

Treatises on Criminal Law,

1st ed. 1867 (external link, opens in a new window)

1871

Franz von Holtzendorff (1829–1889)

Handbook of German Criminal Law in Individual Essays,

Vol. 1: 1st ed. 1871 (external link, opens in a new window) (historical and philosophical foundations)

Vol. 2: 1st edition 1871 (external link, opens in a new window) (AT)

Vol. 3: 1st ed. 1874 (external link, opens in a new window) (Types of Offences)

Index: 1st ed. 1874 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 4: 1st ed. 1877 (external link, opens in a new window) (supplements)

Theodor Reinhold Schütze (1827–1897)

Textbook of German criminal law based on the Imperial Penal Code,

1st edition 1871 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1874 (external link, opens in a new window)

1872

Karl Ludwig Lorenz Binding (1841–1920)

The Legal Rules and Their Breach,

Vol. 1: Norms and Criminal Law

1st edition 1872 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1890 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd edition 1916

4th edition 1922

Vol. 2: Intent and Culpability

1st edition 1877 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1914/1916:

Vol. 2/1: Sanity, Guilt, 2nd ed. 1914

Vol. 2/2: Unlawful Intent, 2nd ed. 1916

Vol. 3: Error

1st edition 1918

Vol. 4: Negligence

1st ed. 1919

1873

Maximilian von Buri (1825–1902)

On Causality and Responsibility,

1st edition 1873 (external link, opens in a new window)

1875

Hugo Meyer (1837–1902)

Textbook on German criminal law,

1st ed. 1875 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd edition 1877 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd edition 1882 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th edition 1888 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th edition 1895 (external link, opens in a new window)

6th edition 1907 (edited by Philipp Allfeld)

7th edition, 1912 (edited by Philipp Allfeld)

8th edition, 1922 (edited by Philipp Allfeld)

9th edition, 1934 (edited by Philipp Allfeld)

1876

Jodocus Donatus Hubertus Temme (1797–1881)

Textbook on General German Criminal Law,

1st edition, 1876 (external link, opens in a new window)

1878

Karl Ludwig Lorenz Binding (1841–1920)

Outline of German Criminal Law – General Part,

1st ed. 1878 (not made available in bookshops)

2nd edition 1879 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd edition 1884

4th ed. 1890 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th edition 1897 (external link, opens in a new window)

6th edition, 1902 (external link, opens in a new window)

7th edition, 1907

8th edition, 1913 (identical to the 7th edition)

1881

Hugo Philipp Egmont Hälschner (1817–1889)

General German Criminal Law,

Vol. 1 (AT): 1st ed. 1881 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 2 (Part 1): Part 1, 1st ed. 1884 (external link, opens in a new window); Part 2, 1st ed. 1887 (external link, opens in a new window)

Franz von Liszt (1851–1919)

German Imperial Criminal Law, systematically presented on the basis of the Imperial Criminal Code and other imperial criminal laws, taking into account the case law of the Imperial Court of Justice,

= Textbook of German Criminal Law (from the 2nd ed. 1884)

1st ed. 1881 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd ed. 1884

3rd ed. 1888 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th edition 1891

5th edition 1892 (external link, opens in a new window)

6th edition 1894 (external link, opens in a new window)

7th edition, 1896 (external link, opens in a new window)

8th edition, 1897 (external link, opens in a new window)

9th edition, 1899

10th edition, 1900 (external link, opens in a new window)

11th ed. 1902

12th ed./13th ed. 1903

14th ed./15th ed. 1905

16th ed./17th ed. 1908

18th edition, 1911

19th edition, 1912

20th ed. 1914

21st ed./22nd ed. 1919

23rd ed. 1921 (edited by Eb. Schmidt)

24th edition, 1922 (external link, opens in a new window) (edited by Eb. Schmidt)

25th ed. 1927 (edited by Eb. Schmidt)

26th edition, 1932 (edited by Eb. Schmidt) (2 vols./only Vol. 1 published)

Carl Georg Wächter (1797–1880)

German Criminal Law – Lectures,

1st edition 1881 (external link, opens in a new window)

1884

August Geyer (1831–1885)

Outline of Lectures on General German Criminal Law

Part 1 (Introduction + General Part), 1st ed. 1884 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2 (Main Text), 1st edition 1885 (external link, opens in a new window)

1885

Karl Ludwig Lorenz Binding (1841–1920)

Handbook of Criminal Law,

Vol. 1: 1st ed. 1885 (external link, opens in a new window)

Maximilian von Buri (1825–1902)

Causality and its Relation to Criminal Law,

1st edition 1885 (external link, opens in a new window)

Richard Loening (1848–1913)

Outline of Lectures on German Criminal Law,

1st ed. 1885 (external link, opens in a new window)

1889

Adolf Merkel (1836–1896)

Textbook on German criminal law,

1st ed. 1889 (external link, opens in a new window)

20th century

1900

Moritz Liepmann (1869–1928)

An Introduction to Criminal Law, A Critique of Fundamental Concepts in Criminology,

1st ed. 1900 (external link, opens in a new window)

1904

August Finger (1858–1935)

Textbook on German criminal law,

Vol. 1: 1st ed. 1904 (external link, opens in a new window)

1906

Ludwig v. Bar (1836–1913)

Law and Guilt in Criminal Law,

Vol. 1: The Criminal Code, 1906

Vol. 2: Culpability under Criminal Law, 1907

Vol. 3: Exemption from Guilt and Punishment under the Criminal Code, 1909

Ernst Beling (1866–1932)

The Theory of Crime,

1st ed. 1906 (external link, opens in a new window)

Andreas Thomsen

German Criminal Law – General Part,

1st edition 1906 (external link, opens in a new window)

1912

Josef Kohler (1849–1919)

A Guide to German Criminal Law,

1st edition 1912 (external link, opens in a new window)

1914

Friedrich Wachenfeld (1865–1928)

Textbook on German criminal law,

1st edition 1914

1915

Max Ernst Mayer (1875–1923)

The General Part of German Criminal Law – A Textbook,

1st edition 1915

2nd edition 1923

1916

Fritz von Calker (1864–1957)

Outline of Criminal Law,
(Outline for Lectures and Study Guide)

1st edition, 1916

2nd edition 1924

3rd edition 1927

4th edition 1933

1917

August Köhler (1868–1939)

German Criminal Law – General Part,

1st edition 1917

1920

Friedrich Doerr

German criminal law,

Vol. 1 (General Part): 1st ed. 1920; 2nd ed. 1930

Vol. 2 (BT): 1st ed. 1920; 2nd ed. 1932

1921

Wilhelm Sauer (1879–1962)

Fundamentals of Criminal Law,

1st ed. 1921

2nd ed. 1949 (as: General Theory of Criminal Law)

3rd edition 1955 (as: General Theory of Criminal Law)

1922

Heinrich Balthasar Gerland (1874–1944)

German Imperial Criminal Law,

1st edition 1922

2nd edition 1932

1925

Robert von Hippel (1866–1951)

German criminal law,

Vol. 1 (Fundamentals): 1st ed. 1925

Vol. 2 (Crimes): 1st edition 1930

Richard Schmidt ( 1862–1944)

An Outline of German Criminal Law,

1st edition 1925

2nd ed. 1931

1927

Paul Merkel (1872–1943)

Outline of Criminal Law,

Vol. 1: General Part, 1st edition 1927

1930

Ernst Beling (1866–1932)

The Theory of the Elements of an Offence,

1st ed. 1930

1931

Edmund Mezger (1883–1962)

Criminal Law – A Textbook,

1st ed. 1931

2nd edition 1933

3rd ed. 1949

1932

Robert von Hippel (1866–1951)

Textbook on Criminal Law,

1st edition 1932

1936

Hellmuth Mayer ( 1895–1980)

Criminal Law of the German People,

1st edition 1936

1938

Edmund Mezger (1883–1962)

Criminal Law – An Outline,

1st edition 1938

2nd edition 1941

3rd edition 1943

1940

Hans Welzel (1904–1977)

The General Part of German Criminal Law: The Main Features,

1st edition 1940

2nd edition, 1943

3rd edition 1944

merged into:

German Criminal Law: The Main Features,

1st edition 1947

2nd edition 1949

Replaced by:

German Criminal Law – A Systematic Presentation,

3rd edition 1954

4th edition 1954

5th edition, 1956

6th ed. 1958

7th ed. 1960

8th edition, 1963

9th edition, 1965

10th edition, 1967

11th edition, 1969

1946

Hellmuth von Weber (1893–1970)

An Outline of German Criminal Law,

1st edition 1946

2nd edition, 1948

1948/1949

Edmund Mezger (1883–1962)

Criminal Law – A Study Guide,
(continued by Hermann Blei),

Vol. 1: General Part

1st ed. 1948

2nd edition 1948

3rd ed. 1951

4th edition 1952

5th edition 1954

6th edition 1955

7th edition, 1957

8th edition, 1958

9th edition, 1960

10th edition, 1963 (Hermann Blei)

11th edition, 1965 (Hermann Blei)

12th edition, 1967 (Hermann Blei)

13th edition, 1968 (Hermann Blei)

14th edition, 1970 (Hermann Blei)

15th edition, 1973 (Hermann Blei)

16th edition, 1975 (Hermann Blei)

17th edition, 1977 (Hermann Blei)

18th edition, 1983 (Hermann Blei)

Vol. 2: Special Part

1st edition, 1949

2nd edition, 1951

3rd edition, 1952

4th edition, 1952

5th edition 1956

6th edition 1958

7th edition, 1960

8th edition, 1864 (Hermann Blei)

9th edition, 1966 (Hermann Blei)

10th edition, 1976 (Hermann Blei)

11th edition, 1978 (Hermann Blei)

12th ed. 1983 (Hermann Blei)

1951

Arthur Otto Rudolf Wegner ( 1900–1989)

Criminal Law: General Part,

1st edition, 1951

Hans Welzel (1904–1977)

The New Picture of the Criminal Law System,

1st edition 1951

2nd edition 1952

3rd edition 1957

4th edition 1961

1953

Hellmuth Mayer ( 1895–1980)

Criminal Law: General Part,

1st edition 1953

1954

Reinhart Maurach (1902–1976)

German Criminal Law – General Part, A Textbook,
(later continued by various editors, including Zipf and Gössel)

1st edition 1954

2nd edition 1958

3rd ed. 1965

4th edition 1971

5th ed. 1977/1978

Vol. 1: 5th edition 1977

Vol. 2: 5th edition, 1978

6th edition 1983/1984

Vol. 1: 6th edition, 1983

Vol. 2: 6th edition, 1984

7th ed. 1987/1989

Vol. 1: 7th ed. 1987

Vol. 2: 7th edition, 1989

8th ed. 1992/2014

Vol. 1: 8th ed. 1992

Vol. 2: 8th ed. 2014

German Criminal Law – Special Part, A Textbook
(later continued by various editors, including Schroeder and Maiwald)

1st ed. 1953

2nd ed. 1956

3rd ed. 1959

4th edition 1964

5th edition 1969

6th ed. 1977/1981

Vol. 1: 6th edition, 1977

Vol. 2: 6th edition, 1981

7th edition 1988/1991

Vol. 1: 7th edition, 1988

Vol. 2: 7th edition 1991

8th ed. 1995/1999

Vol. 1: 8th ed. 1995

Vol. 2: 8th edition, 1999

9th edition, 2003/2005

Vol. 1: 9th ed. 2003

Vol. 2: 9th edition 2005

10th ed. 2009/2012

Vol. 1: 10th ed. 2009

Vol. 2: 10th ed. 2012

11th ed. 2019

Vol. 1: 11th ed. 2019

1960

Jürgen Baumann (1922–2003)

Criminal Law – General Part,

1st ed. 1960

2nd ed. 1961

3rd ed. 1964

4th ed. 1966

5th ed. 1968

6th edition 1974

7th edition, 1975

8th edition, 1977

9th edition, 1985

10th edition, 1995 (Baumann/Weber/Mitsch)

11th edition, 2003 (Baumann/Weber/Mitsch)

12th edition, 2016 (Baumann/Weber/Mitsch/Eisele)

13th ed. 2021 (Baumann/Weber/Mitsch/Eisele)

1967

Hellmuth Mayer ( 1895–1980)

Criminal Law: General Part,

1st edition, 1967

1969

Hans-Heinrich Jescheck (1915–2009)

Textbook on Criminal Law – General Part,

1st ed. 1969

2nd edition 1972

3rd edition 1978

4th edition 1988

5th ed. 1996 (continued by Weigend)

1970

Eberhard Schmidhäuser ( 1920–2002)

Criminal Law – General Part, Textbook,

1st edition 1970

2nd edition 1975

Johannes Wessels (1923–2005)

Criminal Law: General Part,

1st edition 1970

2nd edition, 1972

3rd ed. 1973

4th ed. 1974

5th ed. 1975

6th edition 1976

7th edition, 1978

8th edition, 1978

9th edition, 1979

10th edition, 1980

11th edition, 1981

12th edition, 1982

13th edition, 1983

14th edition, 1984

15th edition, 1985

16th edition, 1986

17th edition, 1987

18th edition, 1988

19th edition, 1989

20th edition, 1990

21st edition, 1991

22nd edition, 1992

23rd edition, 1993

24th edition, 1994

25th edition, 1995

26th edition, 1996

27th edition, 1997

28th edition, 1998 (continued by Beulke)

29th ed. 1999 (continued by Beulke)

30th ed. 2000 (continued by Beulke)

31st ed. 2001 (continued by Beulke)

32nd edition, 2002 (continued by Beulke)

33rd ed. 2003 (continued by Beulke)

34th ed. 2004 (continued by Beulke)

35th ed. 2005 (continued by Beulke)

36th edition, 2006 (continued by Beulke)

37th ed. 2007 (continued by Beulke)

38th edition, 2008 (continued by Beulke)

39th edition, 2009 (continued by Beulke)

40th edition, 2010 (continued by Beulke)

41st edition, 2011 (continued by Beulke)

42nd edition, 2012 (continued by Beulke)

43rd ed. 2013 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

44th ed. 2014 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

45th edition, 2015 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

46th edition 2016 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

47th edition, 2017 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

48th edition, 2018 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

49th edition, 2019 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

50th edition, 2020 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

51st edition, 2021 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

52nd edition, 2022 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

53rd edition, 2023 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

54th ed. 2024 (continued with the collaboration of Satzger)

Criminal Law: Special Part,

Vol. 1: Offences against Personal and Social Values

1st ed. 1976

2nd edition, 1977

3rd edition, 1978

4th edition 1979

5th edition 1981

6th edition 1982

7th edition, 1983

8th edition, 1984

9th edition, 1985

10th edition, 1986

11th ed. 1987

12th edition, 1988

13th edition, 1989

14th edition, 1990

15th edition, 1991

16th edition, 1992

17th edition, 1993

18th edition, 1994

19th edition, 1995

20th edition, 1996

21st ed. 1997

22nd edition, 1999 (continued by Hettinger)

23rd edition, 1999 (continued by Hettinger)

24th edition, 2000 (continued by Hettinger)

25th edition, 2001 (continued by Hettinger)

26th ed. 2002 (continued by Hettinger)

27th ed. 2003 (continued by Hettinger)

28th ed. 2004 (continued by Hettinger)

29th ed. 2005 (continued by Hettinger)

30th ed. 2006 (continued by Hettinger)

31st ed. 2007 (continued by Hettinger)

32nd ed. 2008 (continued by Hettinger)

33rd edition, 2009 (continued by Hettinger)

34th edition, 2010 (continued by Hettinger)

35th ed. 2011 (continued by Hettinger)

36th edition, 2012 (continued by Hettinger)

37th edition, 2013 (continued by Hettinger)

38th edition, 2014 (continued by Hettinger)

39th edition, 2015 (continued by Hettinger)

40th edition, 2016 (continued by Hettinger)

41st edition, 2017 (continued with the collaboration of Engländer)

42nd ed. 2018 (continued with the collaboration of Engländer)

43rd edition, 2019 (continued with the collaboration of Engländer)

44th ed. 2020 (continued with the collaboration of Engländer)

45th edition, 2021 (continued with the collaboration of Engländer)

46th edition, 2022 (continued with the collaboration of Engländer)

47th ed. 2023 (continued with the collaboration of Engländer)

Vol. 2: Offences against property,

1st edition, 1977

2nd edition, 1978

3rd ed. 1979

4th edition, 1980

5th edition 1982

6th edition 1983

7th edition, 1984

8th edition, 1985

9th edition, 1986

10th edition, 1987

11th edition, 1988

12th edition, 1989

13th edition, 1990

14th edition, 1991

15th edition, 1992

16th ed. 1993

17th ed. 1994

18th edition, 1995

19th edition, 1996

20th edition, 1997

21st ed. 1999 (continued by Hillenkamp)

22nd edition, 1999 (continued by Hillenkamp)

23rd edition, 2000 (continued by Hillenkamp)

24th ed. 2001 (continued by Hillenkamp)

25th ed. 2002 (continued by Hillenkamp)

26th ed. 2003 (continued by Hillenkamp)

27th ed. 2004 (continued by Hillenkamp)

28th ed. 2005 (continued by Hillenkamp)

29th ed. 2006 (continued by Hillenkamp)

30th ed. 2007 (continued by Hillenkamp)

31st ed. 2008 (continued by Hillenkamp)

32nd ed. 2009 (continued by Hillenkamp)

33rd ed. 2010 (continued by Hillenkamp)

34th ed. 2011 (continued by Hillenkamp)

35th edition, 2012 (continued by Hillenkamp)

36th edition, 2013 (continued by Hillenkamp)

37th ed. 2014 (continued by Hillenkamp)

38th edition, 2015 (continued by Hillenkamp)

39th edition, 2016 (continued by Hillenkamp)

40th edition, 2017 (continued by Hillenkamp)

41st edition, 2018 (continued with the collaboration of Schuhr)

42nd edition, 2019 (continued with the collaboration of Schuhr)

43rd edition, 2020 (continued with the collaboration of Schuhr)

44th edition, 2021 (continued with the collaboration of Schuhr)

45th edition, 2022 (continued with the collaboration of Schuhr)

46th ed. 2023 (continued with the collaboration of Schuhr)

1971

Günter Stratenwerth (1924–2015)

Criminal Law: General Part,

1st edition, 1971

2nd edition 1976

3rd ed. 1981

4th ed. 2000

5th ed. 2004

6th edition 2011 (with Kuhlen)

1973

Paul Bockelmann (1908–1987)

Criminal Law – General Part,

1st edition 1973

2nd edition, 1975

3rd ed. 1979

4th ed. 1987 (continued by Volk)

Criminal Law – Special Part,

Vol. 1: Offences against Property

1st edition 1976

2nd edition 1982

Vol. 2: Offences against the person

1st edition 1977

Vol. 3: Offences against the public

1st edition 1980

1976

Gerd Geilen (1931–2015)

Criminal Law – General Part,

2nd ed. 1976

3rd edition 1977

4th ed. 1979

5th edition 1980

Harro Otto (born 1937)

Introductory Course in Criminal Law – General Theory of Criminal Law,

1st edition 1976

2nd edition, 1982

3rd edition 1988

4th ed. 1992

5th ed. 1996

6th edition 2000

7th edition, 2004

Introduction to Criminal Law – Individual Offences,

1st edition 1977

2nd edition 1984

3rd edition, 1991

4th edition, 1995

5th ed. 1998

6th edition 2002

7th edition, 2005

8th edition, 2011

1980

Fritjof Haft ( born 1940)

Criminal Law: General Part,

1st edition 1980

2nd edition, 1984

3rd ed. 1987

4th ed. 1990

5th ed. 1992

6th edition 1994

7th edition, 1996

8th edition, 1998

9th edition, 2004

Eberhard Schmidhäuser ( 1920–2002)

Criminal Law – Special Part, Outline,

1st edition 1980

2nd ed. 1983

1982

Eberhard Schmidhäuser ( 1920–2002)

Criminal Law – General Part, Study Guide,

1st edition 1982

2nd edition 1984

1983

Joachim Hruschka (1935–2017)

Criminal Law Using a Logical-Analytical Approach,

1st edition 1983

2nd edition 1988

Günther Jakobs (born 1937)

Criminal Law – General Part, Textbook,

1st ed. 1983

2nd edition 1991

Student edition 1993

1985

Udo Ebert (born 1940)

Criminal Law – General Part,

1st edition 1985

2nd edition 1994

3rd ed. 2001

4th ed. 2008

1992

Claus Roxin (born 1931)

Criminal Law – General Part,

Vol. 1

1st edition 1992

2nd edition 1994

3rd edition 1997

4th edition 2006

5th edition 2020 (continued by Greco)

Vol. 2

1st edition 2003

1994

Kristian Kühl (1994)

Criminal Law – General Part,

1st edition 1994

2nd edition 1997

3rd ed. 2000

4th ed. 2002

5th ed. 2005

6th edition 2008

7th edition, 2012

8th edition 2017

1997

Michael Köhler (1945–2022)

Criminal Law – General Part,

1st edition, 1997

Ellen Schlüchter (1938–2000)

Criminal Law – General Part,

1st edition 1997

2nd edition 1998

3rd ed. 2000

1998

Walter Gropp (born 1952)

Criminal Law: General Part

1st edition 1998

2nd edition 2001

3rd edition 2005

4th edition 2015

5th edition 2020 (edited by Sinn)

Criminal Law Journals

Criminal laws and commentaries

1507

Constitutio Criminalis Bambergensis
= Bambergensis

Text version (external link, opens in a new window): Bamberg Criminal Code, Bamberg 1507.

1532

Constitutio Criminalis Carolina ( CCC)
= Carolina
= Code of Criminal (Criminal Court) Procedure (PGO)

Text version (external link, opens in a new window): The Criminal Code of His Most Illustrious, Most Powerful and Invincible Emperor Charles V: and of the Holy Roman Empire, the Code of Criminal Procedure, drawn up and adopted at the Imperial Diets of Augsburg and Regensburg, held in the years thirty and thirty-two, Mainz 1533.

1616

Codex Maximilianeus

Text version (external link, opens in a new window): Land Law, Police, Judicial, Malefitz and other Ordinances. The Principalities of Upper and Lower Bavaria, Munich 1616.

1751

Codex Iuris Bavarici Criminalis

Text version (external link, opens in a new window): Codex Juris Bavarici Criminalis, Munich 1751.

1768

Constitutio Criminalis Theresiana
= Theresiana

Text version (external link, opens in a new window): Constitutio Criminalis Theresiana, 1769.

1787

General Code of Offences and Their Punishments
= Josephine Penal Code
= Josephina

Text version (external link, opens in a new window): Patent of 13 January 1787

1794

General Land Law for the Prussian States (prALR)

Text version: General Land Law for the Prussian States, 2nd ed. 1794, Decker: Berlin.

Vol. 1: (external link, opens in a new window) First Part

Vol. 2: (external link, opens in a new window) Part Two (Titles 1–8)

Vol. 3: (external link, opens in a new window) Part Two (Titles 9–20) -> Title 20: Crimes and Punishments

1810

Penal Code

Text version (external link, opens in a new window): Code des délits et des peines, edition conforming to the original edition of the Bulletin des lois, 1810.

1813

Criminal Code for the Kingdom of Bavaria (BayStGB)

Text version (external link, opens in a new window): Criminal Code for the Kingdom of Bavaria, 1813.

See also:

Notes on the Penal Code for the Kingdom of Bavaria,

Vol. 1, 1813 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 2, 1813 (external link, opens in a new window)

Vol. 3, 1814 (external link, opens in a new window)

1813–1858

Criminal laws of the individual states:

Stenglein: Collection of German Penal Codes, 1858.

- Vol. 1 (external link, opens in a new window): Bavaria, Oldenburg, Saxony-Altenburg, Württemberg, Brunswick.

- Vol. 2 (external link, opens in a new window): Hanover, Hesse-Darmstadt and Frankfurt, Baden, Nassau.

- Vol. 3 (external link, opens in a new window): Thuringian Criminal Code, Prussia, Austria, Saxony

1851

Criminal Code for the Prussian States (prStGB)

Text version (external link, opens in a new window): The Criminal Code for the Prussian States of 14 April 1851. Halle 1852.

See also:

- Goltdammer, The Materials for the Criminal Code for the Prussian States [...] explained in a commentary,

Part 1, 1851 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2, 1852 (external link, opens in a new window)

- Beseler, Commentary on the Criminal Code for the Prussian States,

1st ed. 1851 (external link, opens in a new window)

- Oppenhoff, The Criminal Code for the Prussian States [...] Explained on the Basis of the Materials, Legal Doctrine and Decisions of the Royal High Court,

1st ed. 1856 (external link, opens in a new window)

2nd ed. 1858 (external link, opens in a new window)

3rd ed. 1861 (external link, opens in a new window)

4th edition 1864 (external link, opens in a new window)

5th ed. 1867 (external link, opens in a new window)

6th ed. 1869 (external link, opens in a new window)

See also the textbooks/outlines (see above) by Temme 1853, Hälschner 1858/68, Berner 1861.

1861

Penal Code for the Kingdom of Bavaria (BayStGB)

Text version (external link, opens in a new window): Criminal Law for the Kingdom of Bavaria, II. Criminal Code. Correct reprint of the official edition with annotations. With the Highest Authorisation. Munich 1862.

See also:

- Stenglein, Commentary on the Criminal Code for the Kingdom of Bavaria,

Part 1, 1861 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2, 1862 (external link, opens in a new window)

- Hocheder, The Criminal Code for the Kingdom of Bavaria, Explained,

Vol. 1, 1862 (external link, opens in a new window)

- Weis, The Criminal Code for the Kingdom of Bavaria [...] Explained,

Vol. 1, 1863 (external link, opens in a new window)

- Dollmann (ed.), The Legislation of the Kingdom of Bavaria since Maximilian II with Explanatory Notes, Part III: Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure, Vol. 4,

Part 1, 1868 (external link, opens in a new window)

Part 2, 1870 (external link, opens in a new window)

- Stenglein, The Criminal Code for the Kingdom of Bavaria, with commentary,

1st ed. 1869 (external link, opens in a new window)

See also:

Expert opinion (external link, opens in a new window): DJT, Proceedings of the Ninth German Jurists’ Congress, Vol. 1: Expert opinion on the draft Criminal Code for the North German Confederation, 1870.

History (external link, opens in a new window): Wächter, ‘Contribution to the History and Critique of the Drafts of a Criminal Code for the North German Confederation’, 1870 (with bibliographical references to the drafts presented, pp. 18 ff., 28).

See also:

- Blum, The Criminal Code for the North German Confederation [...] Explained,

1st ed. 1870 (external link, opens in a new window)

- Hahn, The Criminal Code for the North German Confederation with Explanations from the Explanatory Notes,

1st ed. 1870 (external link, opens in a new window)

- v. Kirchmann, The Criminal Code of the North German Confederation,

1st ed. 1870 (external link, opens in a new window)

- Kletke, The Criminal Code for the North German Confederation,

1st ed. 1871 (external link, opens in a new window)

- Oppenhoff, The Criminal Code for the North German Confederation,

1st ed. 1871 (external link, opens in a new window)

1872

Penal Code for the German Empire ( RStGB)

Text version (external link, opens in a new window): 15 May 1871 (RGBl. p. 127)

Systems and textbooks on natural law (to do)

For further reading on the history of law in general, see:

Stintzing, History of German Law, Part 1, 1880
Stintzing, History of German Law, Vol. 2, 1884
Stintzing/Landsberg, History of German Law, Part 3, 1898
Vol. 1: Text
Vol. 2: Notes

Contact

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