The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Bethmann-Hollweg, Moritz August

BETHMANN-HOLLWEG, Moritz August, German jurist and statesman: b. Frankfort-on-the-Main, 10 April 1795; d. Andernach, 14 July 1877. Having graduated from his law studies at Göttingen and Berlin, he was appointed professor of civil law at the latter institution. In 1829 he was appointed to a similar position at Bonn, which he held until 1842. Three years later he was made a cotmcillor of state and in 1852 he became a member of the First Chamber of the Prussian Parliament. In 1858 he was appointed Minister of Public Instruction, which office he held for four years. He was a strong supporter of the Moderate Constitutionalist Party. As a writer on jurisprudence he had a deep influence in the reforms of the German laws following the enactment of the German Civil Code in 1896. Among his works are ‘Grundriss zu Vorlesungen über den gemeinen und preussischen Civilprozess’ (1821); ‘Ursprung der lombardischen Städtefreiheit’ (1846); ‘Der Civilprozess des gemeinen Rechts in geschichtlicher Entwickelung’ (6 vols., 1864-74}; ‘Ueber Gestezgebung und Rechtswissenshaft als Aufgabe unserer Zeit’ (1876).