Erstarrte Erzählungen

The article presents multiple accounts of the German Civil Code (BGB) composed during its drafting period around 1900. Contrary to later depictions, these contemporary accounts paint a much more balanced picture of the BGB's liberal and social qualities. The following analysis shows how these early accounts were selectively turned into stereotypical critiques of the BGB by later scholars. By comparing historical narratives in subsequent editions of standard textbooks and commentaries since 1900, the article explores how these later, more narrowly framed depictions continue to shape the leading historical accounts of the BGB up to present day.