Savigny, Friedrich Karl von (1779–1861)

German jurist. He cofounded the historical school of jurisprudence. In 1808 he was called to the chair of Roman law at Marburg University. From 1810–32 he occupied a similar position in Berlin. He was made a member of the Prussian Council of State. In 1842 he was appointed minister of justice, showing in his seven years of office most marked ability. When the revolution of 1848 spread from France into Germany he resigned, preferring to devote his remaining years of activity to the revision of his works.

Savigny was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He was descended from a Calvinist family from Metz, France, who had to seek refuge in Germany. Having completed his education in classics at Wetzlar, he went to Marburg University. In 1800 Savigny gained his doctorate with his thesis De Concursu delictorum formali. Three years later he published his Theory of Possession, a classic vindication of the soundness of Roman juristic conceptions of property. His other works include History of Roman Law during the Middle Ages (1815–31) and System of Modern Roman Law (1840–49). Savigny also cofounded the Berlin-based Journal of Historical Jurisprudence (1815–47).