- This comment of ours in English does not mirror fully its Bulgarian original and it is entirely due to the comment’s topic. We would like to draw our friends’ attention to a wonder legal book published in Vienna in 1896. An Austrian lawyer, Dr. August Pleschner von Eichstett, has transformed the Austrian Civil Code of 1811 into poetic verses ! 1502 civil law provisions dressed in spectacular rhymes.
The title of the book is:
Das allgemeine Burgerliche Gesetzbuch
fur das Volk in zierlieche Reime gebracht
von Dr. August Pleschner von Eichstett
Erstmals erschienen 1896
Wien 2000
Manzsche Verlags- und Universitatsbuchhandlung
- The concept of Dr. Pleschner was to retell the complex style of the norms into the understandable language of the common people and by means of rhymes to ease their memorization of the provisions. It is similar to the concept of translating the Bible in the common people’s language.
- For today’s Bulgarian lawyer to understand what actually Dr. Pleschner has achieved it would be enough to try to turn a single modern law provision in verses- and to multiply this effort by 1502.
- With a degree of luck we have managed to translate in Bulgarian verses seven of the Austrian couplets. But it is unthinkable for us to try the same from German in English- it is beyond our resources. That is why we cannot offer a precise image of the Bulgarian comment.
- It is worth noting how far apart today’s extremely commercial legal profession has moved from the frame of mind and heart which have created that wonder-book. Would you employ such a poetic lawyer ? It is like comparing a Vienna waltz with a military march.
- The Bulgarian public should also note the historic experience that the time for drafting a good civil code is approximately one century. If that is the case how could we believe in the quality of various Bulgarian codes which are legislated at the rate of two pieces per year. Are they real basic laws or just signs from a Hollywood pavilion?
- Whatever contemporary parallels may be, the great poetic legal work of Dr. August Pleschner von Eichstett deserves the pulling of our hats off before the heart and spirit of a Belle Epoch which is gone forever.
July 2005
Braykov’s Legal Office