Open Access

Joachim Rückert

• Erfindung – national – Rechtsgeschichte: anhand dieser drei Stichworte lassen sich Fragestellung, Quellenlage und Durchführung klären. Lassen wir dahingestellt, ob es sich eher um Erfindungen handelt, besser um Imagination, oder um allmähliche Entstehungen oder gar gesetzmäßige Evolutionen. Alle diese Bilder malen betont selektiv die Bedeutung bestimmter Entstehungsfaktoren aus. "Nationen" erscheinen so als soziale Imaginationen Europas. Das dürfte freilich für die historische Verortung des Vorgangs keine große Rolle spielen. Ob man ihn am Ende als Erfindung oder anders erzählt, ist eine eigene Frage, die hier nicht zu entscheiden ist. In jedem Fall ist das Fundament bisher sehr schmal. Die bisherigen Forschungen zur Rechtsgeschichte der Nationen sind zudem nicht leicht zu überblicken, sie bieten immerhin einiges zu einigen europäischen Ländern. Eine zusammenfassende Darstellung existiert nicht.
• The "Invention of National Legal History" in Europe deals with a multiplicity of almost unknown histories. Three main steps need to be undertaken in order to better grasp the phenomena. The contribution begins with reflections about the object of something as legal history, the various methods of both defining and presenting it, what "national" means within this research context, as well as mentioning several factors that are probably highly relevant. Since no one author nor the preparatory research is capable of providing a complete picture, even for the larger European nations, the second step offers an analysis of three promising cases studies. Fortunately, these individual case studies generate fruitful insights into the various evolutions and conditions of legal history. With Hermann Conring, Matthew Hale, and Claude Fleury in Germany, England, and France, respectively, we encounter three non-coincidental, parallel initiatives, as will be shown, that all take place in the 17th century. Yet as rich as the three analyzes are, current research can still contribute significantly to these cases. The third step brings nearly all of Europe into focus, namely the "European variations and conditions" of legal histories. Seven special factors of particular relevance are determined and serve as leading questions. Thus, is it possible to show something significant about the varying national "solutions according to their factors" in France, England, the Holy Roman Empire as well as in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, and the Nordic countries. The contribution closes with a contemplative section entitled "Results, Prognosis and Retrospective".