Book 1 (Commercial Entities), Book 2 (Commercial Partnerships and Silent Partnership) and Book 5 (Maritime Trade) of the Commercial Code

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Übersetzung (Buch 1 und Buch 2) durch den Sprachendienst des Bundesministeriums der Justiz.

Übersetzung (Buch 5) durch Samson-Übersetzungen GmbH, Dr. Carmen v. Schöning.

Translation (Book 1 and Book 2) provided by the Language Service of the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Translation (Book 5) provided by Samson-Übersetzungen GmbH, Dr. Carmen v. Schöning.

Stand: Die Übersetzung (Buch 1) berücksichtigt die Änderung(en) des Gesetzes durch Artikel 11 des Gesetzes vom 18. Juli 2017 (BGBl. I S. 2745)
Der Stand der deutschsprachigen Dokumentation kann aktueller sein. Vergleichen Sie dazu bitte http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hgb/BJNR002190897.html.

Stand: Die Übersetzung (Buch 2) berücksichtigt die Änderung(en) des Gesetzes durch Artikel 3 des Gesetzes vom 22. Dezember 2015 (BGBl. I S. 2567)
Der Stand der deutschsprachigen Dokumentation kann aktueller sein. Vergleichen Sie dazu bitte http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hgb/BJNR002190897.html.

Stand: Die Übersetzung (Buch 5) berücksichtigt die Änderung(en) des Gesetzes durch Artikel 5 des Gesetzes vom 5. Juli 2016 (BGBl. I S. 1578)
Der Stand der deutschsprachigen Dokumentation kann aktueller sein. Vergleichen Sie dazu bitte http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hgb/BJNR002190897.html.

Version information: The translation (Book 1) includes the amendment(s) to the Act by Article 11 of the Act of 18 July 2017 (Federal Law Gazette Part I p. 2745).
Translations may not be updated at the same time as the German legal provisions displayed on this website. To compare with the current status of the German version, see http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hgb/BJNR002190897.html.

Version information: The translation (Book 2) includes the amendment(s) to the Act by Article 3 of the Act of 22 December 2015 (Federal Law Gazette Part I p. 2567)
Translations may not be updated at the same time as the German legal provisions displayed on this website. To compare with the current status of the German version, see http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hgb/BJNR002190897.html.

Version information: The translation (Book 5) includes the amendment(s) to the Act by Article 5 of the Act of 5 July 2016 (Federal Law Gazette Part I p. 1578)
Translations may not be updated at the same time as the German legal provisions displayed on this website. To compare with the current status of the German version, see http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/hgb/BJNR002190897.html.

Translations of the other Books to be published shortly.

Zur Nutzung dieser Übersetzung lesen Sie bitte den Hinweis unter "Translations".

For conditions governing use of this translation, please see the information provided under "Translations".


Book One Commercial Entities
Part One Merchants
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4(deleted)
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Part Two Commercial Register; Business Register
Section 8Commercial Register
Section 8aEntries in the Commercial Register; Authorisation to Issue Ordinances
Section 8bBusiness Register
Section 9Access to the Commercial Register and the Business Register
Section 9aTransfer of Operation of the Business Register; Authorisation to Issue Ordinances
Section 9bEuropean System of Interconnection of Registers; Authorisation to Issue Ordinances
Section 10Publication of the Entries
Section 10aApplication of Regulation (EU) 2016/679
Section 11Disclosure in an Official Language of a Member State of the European Union
Section 12Applications for Registration, and Submissions
Section 13Branch Offices of Enterprises with a Seat in Germany
Sections 13a to 13c(deleted)
Section 13dSeat or Main Office Abroad
Section 13eBranch Offices of Share Capital Companies with a Seat Abroad
Section 13fBranch Offices of Stock Corporations with a Seat Abroad
Section 13gBranch Offices of Limited Liability Companies with a Seat Abroad
Section 13hTransfer of Seat of a Domestic Main Office
Section 14
Section 15
Section 15aService by Publication
Section 16
Part Three Commercial Business Name
Section 17
Section 18
Section 19
Section 20(deleted)
Section 21
Section 22
Section 23
Section 24
Section 25
Section 26
Section 27
Section 28
Section 29
Section 30
Section 31
Section 32
Section 33
Section 34
Section 35(deleted)
Section 36(deleted)
Section 37
Section 37a
Part Four Books of Account
Sections 38 to 47b(deleted)
Part Five General Commercial Power of Representation and Commercial Authority to Act
Section 48
Section 49
Section 50
Section 51
Section 52
Section 53
Section 54
Section 55
Section 56
Section 57
Section 58
Part Six Commercial Employees and Commercial Apprentices
Section 59
Section 60
Section 61
Section 62
Section 63(deleted)
Section 64
Section 65
Sections 66 to 72(deleted)
Section 73(deleted)
Section 74
Section 74a
Section 74b
Section 74c
Section 75
Section 75a
Section 75b(deleted)
Section 75c
Section 75d
Section 75e(deleted)
Section 75f
Section 75g
Section 75h
Sections 76 to 82(deleted)
Section 82a
Section 83
Part Seven Commercial Agents
Section 84
Section 85
Section 86
Section 86a
Section 86b
Section 87
Section 87a
Section 87b
Section 87c
Section 87d
Section 88(deleted)
Section 88a
Section 89
Section 89a
Section 89b
Section 90
Section 90a
Section 91
Section 91a
Section 92
Section 92a
Section 92b
Section 92c
Part Eight Commercial Brokers
Section 93
Section 94
Section 95
Section 96
Section 97
Section 98
Section 99
Section 100
Section 101
Section 102
Section 103
Section 104
Part Nine Provisions on Regulatory Offences
Section 104aProvision on Regulatory Offences
Book Two Commercial Partnerships and Silent Partnership
Part One General Partnership
Title One Formation of a Partnership
Section 105
Section 106
Section 107
Section 108
Title Two Legal Relations of Partners to One Another
Section 109
Section 110
Section 111
Section 112
Section 113
Section 114
Section 115
Section 116
Section 117
Section 118
Section 119
Section 120
Section 121
Section 122
Title Three Legal Relations of Partners to Third Parties
Section 123
Section 124
Section 125
Section 125a
Section 126
Section 127
Section 128
Section 129
Section 129a(deleted)
Section 130
Section 130a
Section 130b(deleted)
Title Four Dissolution of the Partnership and Withdrawal of Partners
Section 131
Section 132
Section 133
Section 134
Section 135
Sections 136 to 138(deleted)
Section 139
Section 140
Sections 141 and 142(deleted)
Section 143
Section 144
Title Five Liquidation of the Partnership
Section 145
Section 146
Section 147
Section 148
Section 149
Section 150
Section 151
Section 152
Section 153
Section 154
Section 155
Section 156
Section 157
Section 158
Title Six Statute of Limitations. Time Limit on Liability.
Section 159
Section 160
Part Two Partly Limited Partnership
Section 161
Section 162
Section 163
Section 164
Section 165
Section 166
Section 167
Section 168
Section 169
Section 170
Section 171
Section 172
Section 172a(deleted)
Section 173
Section 174
Section 175
Section 176
Section 177
Section 177a
Sections 178 to 229(deleted)
Part Three Silent Partnership
Section 230
Section 231
Section 232
Section 233
Section 234
Section 235
Section 236
Section 237(deleted)
Fifth Book Maritime trade
Chapter 1 Persons involved in shipping
Section 476Reeder
Section 477Ausrüster
Section 478Ship’s company
Section 479Rights of the master; ship’s log
Section 480Responsibility of the Reeder for the ship’s company and pilots
Chapter 2 Transport contracts
Subchapter 1 Contracts for the carriage of goods by sea
Title 1 Contract for the carriage of general cargo
Subtitle 1 General regulations
Section 481Primary duties; scope of application
Section 482General information regarding the goods
Section 483Dangerous goods
Section 484Packing; leading marks
Section 485Seaworthiness and cargoworthiness
Section 486Handover of the goods for carriage; loading; reloading; discharge
Section 487Accompanying documents
Section 488Liability of the shipper and of third parties
Section 489Termination by the shipper
Section 490Carrier’s rights if the goods are not handed over for carriage in due time
Section 491Subsequent instructions
Section 492Obstacles to carriage and delivery
Section 493Payment; calculation of freight
Section 494Rights of consignee; duty to pay
Section 495Carrier’s lien
Section 496Subsequent carrier
Section 497Ranking order of several liens
Subtitle 2 Liability for loss of or physical damage to the goods
Section 498Grounds for liability
Section 499Particular grounds for exclusion of liability
Section 500Inadmissible loading and stowing of goods on deck
Section 501Responsibility for other persons
Section 502Compensation based upon value
Section 503Assessment costs
Section 504Limit of liability in the event the goods are damaged
Section 505Unit of account
Section 506Non-contractual claims
Section 507Conduct barring exemptions from liability and limitations of liability
Section 508Liability of servants and of the ship’s company
Section 509Actual carrier
Section 510Notice of damage
Section 511Presumption of loss
Section 512Divergent arrangements
Subtitle 3 Accompanying documents
Section 513Entitlement to issuance of a bill of lading
Section 514“On-board” bill of lading; “received-for-shipment” bill of lading
Section 515Contents of the bill of lading
Section 516Bill of lading format; authorisation to issue statutory instruments
Section 517Evidentiary effect of the bill of lading
Section 518Position of Reeder when carrier data are inadequate
Section 519Entitlement under the bill of lading; legitimation
Section 520Carrying out instructions
Section 521Delivery in exchange for the bill of lading
Section 522Objections
Section 523Liability for inaccurate information in the bill of lading
Section 524Transfer effected by the bill of lading (“effect of tradition”)
Section 525Divergent provision made in the bill of lading
Section 526Sea waybill; authorisation to issue statutory instruments
Title 2 Voyage charter contract
Section 527Voyage charter contract
Section 528Port of loading; loading wharf
Section 529Notice of readiness for loading
Section 530Loading time; laytime on demurrage
Section 531Loading and stowing goods
Section 532Termination by the shipper
Section 533Partial carriage
Section 534Termination by the carrier
Section 535Discharge from the ship
Subchapter 2 Contracts for the carriage of passengers and their luggage
Section 536Scope of application
Section 537Definitions
Section 538Liability of the carrier for personal injuries
Section 539Liability of the carrier for physical damage to luggage and damages resulting from delays in the re-delivery of luggage
Section 540Responsibility for other persons
Section 541Limit of liability for personal injury
Section 542Limit of liability for physical damage to luggage and damages due to delays in the re-delivery of luggage
Section 543Interest and costs of court proceedings
Section 544Unit of account
Section 545Conduct barring limitation of liability
Section 546Actual carrier
Section 547Liability of the carrier’s servants and of the ship’s company
Section 548Concurrent claims
Section 549Notice of damage
Section 550Lapse of claims to compensation of damages
Section 551Divergent agreements
Section 552Carrier’s lien
Chapter 3 Charter contracts for ships
Subchapter 1 Chartering a ship
Section 553Bareboat charter contract
Section 554Turning over and returning the ship; maintenance
Section 555Safeguarding the owner’s rights
Section 556Termination
Subchapter 2 Time charter
Section 557Time charter contract
Section 558Time charter party
Section 559Provision of the ship
Section 560Maintenance of the ship in contractually agreed condition
Section 561Use of the ship
Section 562Notification obligations
Section 563Loading and discharge of goods
Section 564Costs of operating the ship
Section 565Hire
Section 566Owner’s lien
Section 567Breach of duties
Section 568Right of retention
Section 569Return of the ship
Chapter 4 Ship’s emergencies
Subchapter 1 Collision of ship
Section 570Obligation to compensate for damages
Section 571Contributory fault
Section 572Damage without collision
Section 573Involvement of an inland waterway vessel
Subchapter 2 Salvage
Section 574Duties of the salvor and of other persons
Section 575Prevention or minimisation of damages to the environment
Section 576Right to a reward
Section 577Amount of the salvage reward
Section 578Special compensation
Section 579Exclusion of a claim to remuneration
Section 580Salvor’s misconduct
Section 581Claim to apportionment
Section 582Plurality of salvors
Section 583Saving human life
Section 584Conclusion of a salvage contract and retroactive review of its content by a court
Section 585Lien, right of retention
Section 586Ranking order of several liens
Section 587Provision of security
Subchapter 3 General average
Section 588Preservation from common peril
Section 589Fault or neglect of a party to the adventure or of a third party
Section 590Assessment of the average
Section 591Contribution in general average
Section 592General average disbursements
Section 593Rights of maritime lienors
Section 594Lien of the parties entitled to a general average disbursement; prohibition of delivery
Section 595Settlement of the average
Chapter 5 Maritime lienor
Section 596Secured claims
Section 597Lien held by maritime lienors
Section 598Object of the lien held by the maritime lienors
Section 599Lapse of the claim
Section 600Lapse by passage of time
Section 601Satisfaction of the maritime lienor
Section 602Precedence of the liens held by maritime lienors
Section 603General ranking of liens held by maritime lienors
Section 604Ranking order of liens listed under the same number
Chapter 6 Statutory limitation period
Section 605One-year statutory limitation period
Section 606Two-year statutory limitation period
Section 607Commencement of statutory limitation periods
Section 608Extension of the limitation period
Section 609Arrangements as to the limitation period
Section 610Concurrent claims
Chapter 7 General limitation of liability
Section 611Convention as to the limitation of liability
Section 612Limitation of liability for claims arising from the removal of a wreck
Section 613Limitation of liability for small ships
Section 614Limitation of liability for damages to harbours and waterways
Section 615Limitation of the pilot’s liability
Section 616Conduct barring limitation of liability
Section 617Procedure for limiting liability
Chapter 8 Procedural Rules
Section 618Injunction by a salvor
Section 619Service of documents to the master or skipper of a ship
Chapter 9 (repealed)
Chapter 11 (repealed)
Annex (repealed)