Beiträge

• FELIX ANDREAS KIEFNER, Köln
  Koloniale Rechtsprechung in Zivilsachen am Kaiserlichen Bezirksgericht Lome (Togo), in: ZNR 48 (2026), S. 1­–24

This article analyses a set of 43 civil case files from the Imperial District Court of Lome, a first-instance German colonial court in Togo. The files (1901–1914) provide insight into the practical operation of civil justice in the former German colony. Proceedings were usually swift. Judges were fully qualified German lawyers (“Gerichtsassessoren“), but until 1909 the District Judge also headed the district administration, illustrating limited institutional separation. Hearings were conducted in German with interpreters, indigenous parties were addressed informally in official records.
Three main groups of cases can be identified:
– Cases between Germans (70%): An efficient forum for business disputes, debt enforcement (including arrest procedures), and transnational claims.
– German plaintiffs vs. indigenous defendants (5%): A 1907 ruling by the Imperial Court of Appeal for Kamerun and Togo clarified that these cases fell under the jurisdiction of the administrative authorities (not the colonial courts), a conclusion justified by reference to separate legal orders.
– Indigenous plaintiffs vs. German defendants (25%): Indigenous residents pursued labor, wage, and property claims; although German law applied, outcomes varied and structural disadvantages were evident.
Overall, civil jurisdiction in Togo provided access to legal remedies for both German and indigenous inhabitants while operating within a framework marked by inequality and racial discrimination.

• ANDRÉ LEPEJ, Heidelberg/Mannheim
  Die deutsche Rechtsanwaltschaft und die Novemberrevolution 1918/1919. Eine Spurensuche in der Juristischen Wochenschrift, in: ZNR 48 (2026), S. 25–61

The First World War and the November Revolution of 1918/1919 in Germany met a legal profession weakened by social and professional problems. But how did German lawyers experience this period of upheaval and existential challenges? The article explores this question based on the publications and articles in the “Juristische Wochenschrift”, the journal of the German Bar Association (Deutscher Anwaltverein).

• ANDRÉ KLIP – ROSA MARIA WEIHRAUCH, Maastricht (Niederlande)
  Bitte nicht ausliefern! Wie die Auslieferung des deutschen Kaisers Wilhelm II. möglich war, jedoch nicht stattfand, in: ZNR 48 (2026), S. 62–81

Article 227 of the Treaty of Versailles foresaw the establishment of an international criminal tribunal to prosecute Kaiser Wilhelm II. for a “supreme offense against international morality and the sanctity of treaties”. For the first time in history and unprecedented in international law, a head of state was to incur individual responsibility under international law and be tried before such a tribunal. Shortly before the armistice, however, the Kaiser fled to the neutral Netherlands, prompting Article 227 to instruct the Entente to request his extradition. Yet, all three requests were denied by the Netherlands. Even before the Treaty of Versailles was concluded, Germany and the Netherlands commissioned legal opinions on the Kaiser’s responsibility and extradition, reaching divergent conclusions. These reports discuss, to varying degrees, the Kaiser’s status as head of state, the criminal liability for the alleged acts, and the possible political character of the offences. Both countries additionally address the possibility of extradition. Drawing on primary archival sources, this contribution compares and assesses the German and Dutch legal positions in their historical and political context, seeking to explain their impact on the failure to extradite the Kaiser. The findings suggest that, although Germany denied such a possibility, an extradition was in fact legally feasible under existing international law.

• MICHAEL REICHENTHALER, Regensburg
  Die Eröffnung des Verwaltungsrechtswegs bei der Ausarbeitung der grundgesetzlichen Rechtsweggarantie. Eine verfassungshistorische Annäherung an die Geschichte der verwaltungsgerichtlichen Generalklausel, in: ZNR 48 (2026), S. 82–95

The general clause of the administrative courts is an undisputed centerpiece of German administrative procedural law. Although this is not clear from the direct wording of the German Grundgesetz, the general clause of the administrative courts has a strong constitutional character due to Article 19 (4) of the Grundgesetz. This article seeks to approach the relationship between the general clause of the administrative courts and the constitutional guarantee of legal recourse from a constitutional-historical perspective. To this end, it is necessary to first look at the period between 1945 and 1948/49 to understand the development of the constitutional guarantee of legal recourse. This is because even before the Herrenchiemsee Constitutional Convention and the Parliamentary Council discussed the constitutional reorganization of Germany, administrative jurisdiction had already been rebuilt and the general clause was able to establish itself in a large part of the western occupation zones during this period. This shows that the establishment and strengthening of administrative jurisdiction and its core components were processes that were not only shaped by constitutional law, but also drew on the preliminary work of the occupying powers or the state legislatures and, due to the openness of the constitution, also provided for a large scope of implementation in favor of the legislature under the Basic Law.

Miszelle

• DANIEL UNTERBERGER, Innsbruck
  Sprechverbote und Äußerungsdelikte im österreichischen Ständestaat von 1933–1938, in: ZNR 48 (2026), S. 96–110

This article examines the speech prohibitions and expression-related offences enforced in authoritarian Austria (“Ständestaat”) between 1933 and 1938, focusing on vocal expressions of opinion likely to damage the reputation of the government, its officials, or the state. The focus is directed towards the constitutional framework, criminal law, and particularly administrative regulations.

Forschungsbericht

• SEBASTIAN TEUPE, Frankfurt/M.
  Die deutsche Inflation, in: ZNR 48 (2026), S. 111–122

This research report examines the current state of historiography of the German hyperinflation from 1914 to 1923 and emerging scholarly perspectives in the context of established interpretations. While foundational works by Feldman, Holtfrerich, and others have long shaped the discourse, recent publications – especially around the centennial of 1923 – have reignited interest, often targeting broader audiences without offering fundamentally new historical insights. The report outlines key debates on the causes of inflation, including the impact of World War I, reparations, and fiscal policy to outline where scholarly consensus has been reached and where there is need for further research. It then explores four innovative research areas: regional approaches, political consequences, the revaluation debate, and inflation as cultural memory. These fields reveal new empirical findings, particularly in economic history and memory studies, challenging the notion of a persistent “German inflation trauma.“ The study emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary dialogue and deeper engagement with international and regional dimensions of inflation. Ultimately, it argues that the German inflation remains a dynamic field of inquiry, shaped by both historical complexity and contemporary relevance.

Länderbericht

• ARMELA KROMIÇI, Tirana
  Legal historical research in Albania in the last 20 years, in: ZNR 48 (2026), S. 123–147

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