Deutsches Rechtswoerterbuch

The Deutsches Rechtswörterbuch (DRW) or Dictionary of Historical German Legal Terms is a historic legal dictionary developed under the aegis of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. The research unit took up work in 1897 and until today has completed 93.155 articles, ranging from Aachenfahrt (pilgrimage to Aachen) to selbzwölft (being one of twelve persons). These have been published in 12 consecutive volumes and are also freely accessible online. In course of its research, the DRW also touches upon sources in Old English, of Hanseatic provenience and Pennsylvania German. The research unit will presumably conclude its work in 2036.

The DRW aims at covering German legal terminology from the Middle Ages up to the beginning of the 19th century. In this context, legal language is understood as a general historical vocabulary in reference to legal meanings. The research unit wants to outline how legal concepts, convictions and institutions manifested themselves in everyday language. Concomitantly, the DRW does not only contain legal terms, but common phrases bearing relation to legal contexts. Furthermore, the DRW as part of its research lists the legally relevant vocabulary, not only of Modern High German, but of all Western German language varieties. The dictionary cites usage of historical vocabulary from various regions of the West Germanic language area from England to Transylvania, from Lorraine to the Baltic Seas. In order to capture the full lexical diversity of meanings for each word, the dictionary employs techniques of synchronic and diachronic comparative law in addition to purely linguistic and lexicographic approaches, against the backdrop of historical contextualisation.

As Germany’s Federal President Richard von Weizäcker once wrote:

“The Rechtswörterbuch incorporates language- and culture-historical references beyond purely legal understandings, thus making the work truly cross-disciplinary.”

The DRW was initiated in 1896/97 as a project of the Royal Prussian Academy of Science at about the same time as other fundamental dictionary projects like the Schweizerisches Idiotikon. Perhaps, the envisioned Dictionary on Anglo-Norman Legal Terms by the Selden Society served as an inspiration (the renamed Dictionary of Law French compiled by Elsie Shanks sadly has never been published). Leading German capacities in the field of legal history, history and language history like Heinrich Brunner, Ernst Dümmler and Karl Weinhold belonged to the founding commission. Otto von Gierke was also a founding member and being rooted in the tradition of the German Historical School pledged for the inclusion of the West Germanic languages. Since the first head of research unit, Prof. Dr. iur. Richard Schröder, held office in Heidelberg, the DRW has been located from the start in the historic city on the Neckar. Schröder’s successor was Prof. Eberhard Freiherr von Künßberg. Since he was married to a Jewish woman, the family had to emigrate to the United States (see descendants Ekkehard von Kuenssberg and Laura Kuenssberg). This circumstances contributed to the inner and outer turmoil the research unit faced in the wake of Nazi rule and World War II. Arising from the division of Germany and the dissolution of the Prussian academy (hence called German Academy of Sciences at Berlin), the DRW was incorporated into the Heidelberg academy in 1959. Forty years later, the late head of research unit Dr. Heino Speer, initialised the free of charge Internet publication.

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