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Category: Global Law

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Standardization and the Law

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

On December 22, 1917—100 years ago today—the German Institute for Standardization (Deutsches Institut für Normung, DIN) was founded. DIN develops the content of standards and coordinates the work of other bodies involved in the process. It is organized as a private non-profit organization and has entered into an agreement with the German government to be recognized …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how much tax do I owe for thee?

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

It is generally believed that the modern Christmas tree tradition originated in Germany in the 16th century. (William D. Crump, The Christmas Encyclopedia (2001)). Thus, it makes sense that Christmas trees first started appearing in the United States in the 1830s when German settlers in Pennsylvania put them on display. (Id.) As we enter the holiday season, …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

German Family (Heritage) Books

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Lately, I have become very interested in genealogy research as have many other people judging from the numerous websites, databases, guides, and other resources dedicated to that topic. To get my family history research started, I interviewed my parents who directed me to our family (heritage) book. What are Family Books? In Germany, events like births, marriages, …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

The Peace of Westphalia

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

On October 24, 1648, the Peace of Westphalia formally ended the Thirty Years’ War in Europe. The Peace of Westphalia consists of two different documents, the Peace Treaty of Osnabrück (Instrumentum pacis Osnabrugensis)  between the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (HRE) and Sweden, and the Peace Treaty of Münster (Instrumentum Pacis Monasteriensis)  between …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Attorney Advertising in Germany

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

On July 14, 1987, the German Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht, BVerfG) rendered two decisions that paved the way to allowing attorney advertising in Germany. Nicknamed the “Bastille decisions” because of the date and their ”revolutionary character,” the decisions allowed attorneys for the first time to advertise their services to the public on a regular basis although several …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

The Declaration of Independence in Foreign Languages

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

In preparation for the upcoming Independence Day celebration tomorrow, we thought it might be interesting to show that there is also an international dimension to this national holiday. The Declaration of Independence is regarded as one of the milestone documents that shaped America, but it also had a major influence abroad. After the Continental Congress approved the …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

A Guide to Researching EU Law

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

The following is a guest post by Micaela DelMonte, a lawyer from the European Parliamentary Research Service who volunteered at the Law Library of Congress during May 2017. News about Brexit and the so-called Article 50 procedure have dominated the news about the European Union (EU) lately. If you are interested in researching these or …