Juristische Methodenlehre, nach der Ausarbeitung des Jakob Grimm

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June 29, 2026

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Friedrich Karl von Savigny, a founder of the "historical school" of jurisprudence, advocated for analyzing law through its historical origins and transformations. He opposed immediate codification of German law, believing law arises from a people's unique spirit (Volksgeist), expressed in custom and judicial decisions, rather than arbitrary legislation.1

Savigny's approach, detailed in his lecture "Legal Methodology as Elaborated by Jakob Grimm," emphasized that legal science should be both historical and systematic, uncovering the inner coherence of historical legal sources, particularly Roman law. This methodology influenced the study of law and laid groundwork for legal sociology.12

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Friedrich Karl von Savigny
Legal philosophy
…1802–03 (published in 1951 as Juristische Methodenlehre, nach der Ausarbeitung des Jakob Grimm; “Legal Methodology as Elaborated by Jakob Grimm”). He held that legal science should be both historical and systematic, meaning that it should endeavour to show the inner coherence of the material handed down in the historical sources…
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…1802–03 (published in 1951 as Juristische Methodenlehre, nach der Ausarbeitung des Jakob Grimm; “Legal Methodology as Elaborated by Jakob Grimm”). He held that legal science should be both historical and systematic, meaning that it should endeavour to show the inner coherence of the material handed down in the historical sources…
Read More