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.