Rudolf Arnold Nieberding
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Arnold Nieberding (4 May 1838 – 10 October 1912) was a German
jurist
and politician
.
(modern Chojnice, Poland) to Karl Nieberding, a teacher and later director of the “Gymnasium Petrinum” in Recklinghausen
.
He passed his Abitur
in Recklinghausen and studied law at the Universities of Breslau (modern Wrocław), Heidelberg and Berlin
. Nieberding finished his studies in 1863 and, after a short period at the regional administration of Breslau, started to work at the Prussia
n ministry of commerce in 1866. Between 1872 and 1889 he worked at the Reich Chancellery
in Berlin and became head of the first département at the Reich office of the Interior in 1889.
In 1893 he was appointed Secretary of State of the Reichsjustizamt
, and he remained in this position under the changing chancellorship of Leo von Caprivi
, Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Bernhard von Bülow
and Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg
until 1909. Nieberding coordinated the elaboration of a new German civil code, the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch
(BGB), the associated Commercial law (Handelsgesetzbuch) and the codes of criminal law and criminal and civil procedure
; thus he was responsible for the standardisation of German law after the Unification of Germany
.
In his opening speech to the parliamentary debate on the BGB in 1896 Nieberding described the legal situation in Germany as a “colorful muddle, .. for so long forgotten, citizens and families have determined their own legal relationships for themselves.”
In a Reichstag
debate on 23 November 1907 he publicly stated that the lèse-majesté laws of Imperial Germany resulted in a “growth of a base and hostile climate of denuncation” in which “even members of the same family, indeed the best of friends, denounce each other for lèse-majesté the minute discord between them occurs,” and these laws were ”not entirely reconcilable with the general sense of justice.”
Nieberding retired in 1909 and died in Berlin.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Biography
Nieberding was born in KonitzChojnice
Chojnice is a town in northern Poland with 39 670 inhabitants , near famous Tuchola Forest, Lake Charzykowskie and many other water reservoirs. It is the capital of the Chojnice County....
(modern Chojnice, Poland) to Karl Nieberding, a teacher and later director of the “Gymnasium Petrinum” in Recklinghausen
Recklinghausen
Recklinghausen is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. It borders the rural Münsterland and is characterized by large fields and farms in the north and industry in the south...
.
He passed his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
in Recklinghausen and studied law at the Universities of Breslau (modern Wrocław), Heidelberg and Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
. Nieberding finished his studies in 1863 and, after a short period at the regional administration of Breslau, started to work at the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n ministry of commerce in 1866. Between 1872 and 1889 he worked at the Reich Chancellery
Reich Chancellery
The Reich Chancellery was the traditional name of the office of the Chancellor of Germany in the period of the German Reich from 1871 to 1945...
in Berlin and became head of the first département at the Reich office of the Interior in 1889.
In 1893 he was appointed Secretary of State of the Reichsjustizamt
Reichsjustizamt
Reichsjustizamt, which in German means "office for national justice", was the highest authority of the law in the German empire, and was the predecessor of Reichsministerium der Justiz, the Reich Ministry of Justice....
, and he remained in this position under the changing chancellorship of Leo von Caprivi
Leo von Caprivi
Georg Leo Graf von Caprivi de Caprera de Montecuccoli was a German major general and statesman, who succeeded Otto von Bismarck as Chancellor of Germany...
, Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Bernhard von Bülow
Bernhard von Bülow
Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin von Bülow , named in 1905 Prince von Bülow, was a German statesman who served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for three years and then as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1900 to 1909.Bülow was described as possessing every quality except greatness...
and Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg
Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg
Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg was a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917.-Origins:...
until 1909. Nieberding coordinated the elaboration of a new German civil code, the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch
The Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch is the civil code of Germany. In development since 1881, it became effective on January 1, 1900, and was considered a massive and groundbreaking project....
(BGB), the associated Commercial law (Handelsgesetzbuch) and the codes of criminal law and criminal and civil procedure
Zivilprozessordnung (Germany)
Zivilprozessordnung is the German code of civil procedure....
; thus he was responsible for the standardisation of German law after the Unification of Germany
Unification of Germany
The formal unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 at the Versailles Palace's Hall of Mirrors in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of the German...
.
In his opening speech to the parliamentary debate on the BGB in 1896 Nieberding described the legal situation in Germany as a “colorful muddle, .. for so long forgotten, citizens and families have determined their own legal relationships for themselves.”
In a Reichstag
Reichstag (German Empire)
The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
debate on 23 November 1907 he publicly stated that the lèse-majesté laws of Imperial Germany resulted in a “growth of a base and hostile climate of denuncation” in which “even members of the same family, indeed the best of friends, denounce each other for lèse-majesté the minute discord between them occurs,” and these laws were ”not entirely reconcilable with the general sense of justice.”
Nieberding retired in 1909 and died in Berlin.