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The “Lieber Code” – the First Modern Codification of the Laws of War

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

On April 24, 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued “General Orders No. 100: Instructions for the Government of the Armies of the United States in the Field,” commonly known as the “Lieber Code” after its main author Francis (Franz) Lieber. The Lieber Code set out rules of conduct during hostilities for Union soldiers throughout the U.S. Civil …

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An Interview with Johannes Jäger, Foreign Law Intern

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Today’s interview is with Johannes Jäger, a foreign law intern at the Global Legal Research Directorate, Law Library of Congress.  Describe your background. I come from the Eifel, which is a region in the westernmost part of Germany, near the Belgian and Dutch borders. After graduating from high school in the picturesque town of Bad Münstereifel, I …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Uber at the ECJ – The Legal Saga in Europe Continues

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

The following is a guest post by Catharina Schmidt, a foreign law intern working in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress. While Uber recently achieved partial success in the legal fight over a key component for operating driverless cars in the United States, it suffered a defeat at the European Court of Justice …

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Is the Sound of Children Actually Noise?

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

This post is coauthored by Jenny Gesley and Sayuri Umeda, foreign law specialists at the Global Legal Research Center. At some point or another, all of us have been exposed to children’s noise, be it as a parent or a neighbor, at the playground or at a school. And did we not wish for the noise …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

An Interview with Catharina Schmidt, Foreign Law Intern

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Today’s interview is with Catharina Schmidt, a foreign law intern working with me on research related to the laws of Germany and other German-speaking jurisdictions at the Global Legal Research Directorate, Law Library of Congress.  Describe your background. I am originally from Germany and grew up with my younger sister in the city of Darmstadt, which is located near …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

An Interview with Felicia Stephan, Foreign Law Intern

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

Today’s interview is with Felicia Stephan, a foreign law intern working with Jenny Gesley on research related to the laws of Germany and other German-speaking jurisdictions at the Global Legal Research Directorate, Law Library of Congress.  Describe your background. I am originally from Tübingen, a small town in the south of Germany, where I grew up with …

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, …