Rudolf Jhering German lawyer Date of Birth: 22.08.1818 Country: Germany

Rudolf von Jhering (1818–1892)

Rudolf von Jhering, a German jurist, was born on August 22, 1818, in Aurich near Emden. He studied law in Heidelberg, Munich, Göttingen, and Berlin. Jhering held professorships in law at Basel (1845), Rostock (1846), Kiel (1849), Giessen (1852), Vienna (1868), and Göttingen (1872). Despite initially being influenced by the historical school of Savigny, Jhering soon found its methods and principles unsatisfactory. In his work "Der Geist des rmischen Rechts auf den verschiedenen Stufen seiner Entwicklung" (The Spirit of Roman Law at Various Stages of its Development, 1852–1865), Jhering sought to identify universal principles of legislation, particularly those underlying Roman law. He was convinced of the possibility of adapting Roman law to the requirements of modernity. In 1857, Jhering, together with German jurist Karl von Gerber, founded the "Jahrbücher für die Dogmatik des brgerlichen Rechts" (Yearbooks for the Dogmatics of Civil Law). Jhering's renowned lecture "Der Kampf ums Recht" (The Struggle for Law, 1872) presented the concept of interpreting law as a conflict of real interests. The theory outlined in "Der Kampf ums Recht" further developed in Jhering's work "Der Zweck im Recht" (The Purpose in Law, 1877–1884). Jhering passed away in Göttingen on September 17, 1892.