Allgemeines bürgerliches Gesetzbuch

The Allgemeines bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (ABGB) is the Civil Code of Austria, which was enacted in 1811 after about 40 years of preparatory works. Karl Anton Freiherr von Martini and Franz von Zeiller were the leading drafters at the earlier and later stages of the draft. Comparable to the Napoleonic code, it was based on the ideals of freedom and equality before the law. It was divided into three major segments, following the Roman law segregation methods. It was modernized during the First World War. ABGB continues to be the basic civil code of Austria to this day and it is also still the basic civil code of Liechtenstein. Besides Austria, its influence persists in other successor states of Austria-Hungary. In Czechoslovakia it was in effect until 1949, although it had been novelized multiple times, when it was replaced by the civil code from 1950.