System des heutigen Römischen Rechts;

Berlin: Veit und Comp.,, 1840-49, 1851. First edition of Savigny's massive work - over 4000 pages long - which demonstrated the great and living unity of much of the Roman law. His earlier writings, with their emphasis on the Volksgeist and their application of the historical method, had expressed his reaction, influenced by romanticism, against the natural law theories of the French Revolution and of liberalism generally. In his dogmatic teaching, however, he not only affirmed the doctrines of eighteenth-century rationalist jurisprudence but made these doctrines the basis of his system. The System is "based on fundamental notions of German natural law theory as well as on Kant's legal philosophy. Within the framework of these categories, Savigny transcended Roman law in many respects, adapting it to modern requirements or developing new solutions, many of which have become influential in German and other legal science; for example, his doctrines of contract and corporation, and particularly his system of private international law - which, like the systems of Story and Mancini, counts among the classic theories in this branch of law." (IESS 14, p. 22). 9 vols, octavo (200 x 122 mm). Contemporary marbled boards, spines ruled gilt, gilt lettered paper labels, top edges red. Ownership inscription of Malikow Michael Weltzien dated 1841 to first free endpaper, with his occasional contemporary underlining and marginalia in ink, bookplate of August Weltzien to front pastedowns. Vol. I neatly rebacked preserving the original spine, two spine labels replaced with gilt lettered cloth labels to style; spine ends, corners and board edges somewhat worn, marbled paper of the last 4 vols slightly different. Some marginal dampmarking, occasional offset and spotting; withal a very good set. Goedeke VI, 233; Walker, the Oxford Companion to Law, p. 1103f.