The Reichsgericht, literally the Reich Court, was the supreme court of the German Reich and sat in Leipzig from 1879 until 1945, so it served through the German Empire, the Weimar Republic and the Nazi period. It began work on 1 October 1879, when the Imperial Judiciary Acts took effect and standardised court types and procedure across the Reich. It heard civil and criminal appeals, tried charges of treason, and from 1920 ruled on whether state laws were compatible with Reich law, but it had no military cases. Its major rulings tended to be conservative, including the 1907 treason conviction of Karl Liebknecht, and under National Socialism it upheld racist laws. The Allies dissolved it in 1945 and the Federal Court of Justice took over its tasks in 1950.
Facts
Jurisdiction Scope
Jurisdiction Scope (category) Jurisdiction Scope (category) Founding Year Subject Matter Connections
Has Member
Source Jacob Friedrich Behrend (Wikipedia)
Source Otto Georg Thierack (Wikipedia)
Source Otto von Oehlschläger (Wikipedia)
Source Walter Simons (Wikipedia)
In Legal System
Source Reichsgericht (source article)
In the Other Atlases
Located In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.
Source Reichsgericht (source article)Lead, first sentenceQuote, Lead, first sentence
was the Supreme Court of the German Reich based in Leipzig from 1879 to 1945
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Reichsgericht (source article)Lead, first sentenceQuote, Lead, first sentence
was the Supreme Court of the German Reich based in Leipzig from 1879 to 1945
Sources
1. Reichsgericht (source article)
Lead, second paragraph
The Reichsgericht began its work on 1 October 1879, when the Reichsjustizgesetze (Imperial Judiciary Acts) came into effect.
Lead, first sentence
was the Supreme Court of the German Reich based in Leipzig from 1879 to 1945
Lead
The Reichsgericht (German: [ˈʁaɪçs.ɡəˌʁɪçt], lit. 'Reich Court') was the Supreme Court of the German Reich based in Leipzig from 1879 to 1945, encompassing the periods of the German Empire, Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany, and was abolished following defeat in World War II. The Reichsgericht began its work on 1 Octobe
Lead, subject matter
The Reichsgericht (German: [ˈʁaɪçs.ɡəˌʁɪçt], lit. 'Reich Court') was the Supreme Court of the German Reich based in Leipzig from 1879 to 1945, encompassing the periods of the German Empire, Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany
In Legal System: German Legal System, Case law, Empire
Its task was to ensure uniformity of jurisprudence throughout the territory of the German Empire.
View the SourceOtto von Oehlschläger (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Otto von Oehlschläger, Biography, ReichsgerichtQuote, Has Member: Otto von Oehlschläger, Biography, Reichsgericht
followed Eduard von Simson as President of the Reichsgericht in 1891
Jacob Friedrich Behrend (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Jacob Friedrich Behrend, Text, ReichsgerichtQuote, Has Member: Jacob Friedrich Behrend, Text, Reichsgericht
a judicial position in the highest court in Germany
Walter Simons (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Walter Simons, President of the ReichsgerichtQuote, Has Member: Walter Simons, President of the Reichsgericht
appointed president of the Reichsgericht at Leipzig
Otto Georg Thierack (Wikipedia)
Has Member: Otto Georg Thierack, Justice Minister of SaxonyQuote, Has Member: Otto Georg Thierack, Justice Minister of Saxony
he became vice president of the Reich Court in 1935
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.