Roman Longchamps de Bérier (1883–1941)

Abstract

This study concerns Roman Longchamps de Bérier, one of the most outstanding Polish jurists of the twentieth century. He was a representative of the Lwów school of civil law, the closest student and successor of Ernest Till, whose work he continued in the field of civil law and in the codification of law in the Second Polish Republic. Longchamps de Bérier was the main author of the draft Code of Obligations of 1933, one of the most important codifications of law of that time. He perceived his scholarly activities as well as codification efforts as a service to his homeland, which he also carried out by engaging in the codification of civil law at an international level. For several years, he combined teaching at his home faculty of law, at the Jan Kazimierz University in Lwów, with delivering lectures in civil law at the Catholic University of Lublin. He was the last Polish rector of the University of Lwów. He was murdered along with his three adult sons by German officers during the massacre of Lwów professors on July 4, 1941.