Jurisdiction in Memelland (1919–1945)

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This article deals with regional and local courts in Memelland in the period between 1920 and 1945, i.e. from the cession to the League of Nations , the annexation by Lithuania, through the return in 1939, to the merger in the Lithuanian Soviet Republic in 1945.

prehistory

With the introduction of the Reich Justice Laws , the Königsberg Higher Regional Court was formed in 1879 . As one of seven regional courts this was subordinated to the regional court Tilsit , whose court district u. a. included the Memelland formed in 1920 . The following subordinate local courts were located in the Memelland area :

From these four district courts, the new district court of Memel was formed in 1885.

In the eastern part of the Ragnit district, the Memel was established in 1882 as a further district court in the Tilsit district court for the area on the right

In terms of administrative jurisdiction, the Memel district was assigned to the Königsberg District Administrative Court and the rest of the Memelland was assigned to the Allenstein District Administrative Court, which was created in 1906 . The first instance that served county administrative courts , which were established in each county. The highest instance was the Prussian Higher Administrative Court .

Intermezzo 1920/23

The former Wischwiller District Court building in Viešvilė

The separation of the Memel area from the Reich cut through the district courts of Tilsit and Memel and the districts of the district courts of Russ, Tilsit, Ragnit and Heinrichswalde. In the Memel area, the Memel district court was expanded to include the parts of the Tilsit district court lying to the right of the Memel, and the district courts were adjusted by ordinance of March 5, 1920. The easternmost district court in the country in Wischwill was expanded to Pogegen (opposite Tilsit), where court days were to take place. The district court district of Russ, which had lost numerous communities on the left bank of the river, was expanded to include some communities in the district court district of Heydekrug. The number of Memelland district courts remained constant at five: Memel, Prökuls, Heydekrug, Ruß and Wischwill.

At the same time, the jurisdiction of the Königsberg Higher Regional Court and the Imperial Court as higher courts ended. Since the Free City of Danzig , which was also separated from the Reich, was in the same situation, it was agreed that the newly created Higher Court of Danzig (see Courts in the Free City of Danzig ) as the Danzig-Memelland Higher Court would also become the Higher Court for the Memelland. As there, the instance was shortened to two instances in relation to the Reich. By regulation on the establishment of a higher court in Memel of September 24, 1921, amended by an regulation of June 29, 1922 , a separate higher court was created in Memel . This court started work on March 1, 1922.

Belonging to Lithuania

After the Memelland was occupied by Lithuanian troops in 1923, the Supreme Court was overturned in 1924. With the ordinance concerning the supreme court for the Memel area of ​​March 13, 1924, a Memelland chamber at the Lithuanian Upper Tribunal was set up as the highest court in Memeland.

Subordinate to the Memel District Court were:

The shortening of the number of instances in comparison to the Reich was resolved by an ordinance concerning the jurisdiction of the Memel courts of February 29, 1924, whereby the local courts were responsible for all civil law proceedings, regardless of the amount in dispute. The regional court was thus no longer an initial instance, but exclusively an appeal instance. The only exceptions were commercial matters with a value in dispute of more than 1,000 litas. The Memel Commercial Court was created for this purpose with the same ordinance . The appeal body was the Chamber for Commercial Matters at the Memel Regional Court.

The commercial and merchant jurisdiction remained in principle. With the ordinance concerning the amendment of the Commercial Court Act and the Commercial Court Act of January 12, 1924 and the ordinance relating to the amendment of the Commercial Court Act ... of November 5, 1925, changes were made to competencies and working methods.

In addition, an administrative court was set up in Memel instead of the discontinued district administrative courts.

Second World War

After Danzig was reconnected to the German Reich on September 1, 1939, the Danzig Higher Court was converted into the Danzig Higher Regional Court . In the meantime, based on an agreement with the Republic of Lithuania, the Memel area was reintegrated into the province of East Prussia. The Memel District Court was re-assigned to the district of the Königsberg Higher Regional Court . The judicial districts remained largely unchanged. Only the Wischwill District Court was reassigned to the Tilsit District Court. The following structure resulted:

literature

  • Carl Pfafferoth: Yearbook of the German Court Constitution , 1880, p. 444 ff., Online
  • Hesse: The development of private law in the Memel region , in: Journal for foreign and international private law, 1st year, H. 5/6 (1927), pp. 678–709

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ulrich Stump: Prussian Administrative Courts 1875-1914, 1980, ISBN 3-428-04699-4
  2. ↑ Oj. P. 6
  3. ^ Agreement concerning a provisional Higher Court for Danzig and Memel; published as a law in the Memel region on August 30, 1920; Oj P. 307
  4. ↑ OJ. P. 867
  5. ↑ Oj. P. 620
  6. ↑ Oj. P. 185
  7. ↑ Meyer, Richard (district school council in Heydekrug): Heimatkunde des Memelgebietes, Robert Schmidt's bookstore, Memel 1922, p. 63
  8. ↑ OJ. P. 17
  9. ↑ OJ. P. 105
  10. ↑ OJ. P. 960
  11. ^ Ordinance on the incorporation of the Memelland into the higher regional court district of Königsberg of March 28, 1939, RGBl. I p. 700, online
  12. ^ The judicial organization of the German Reich of January 1, 1944. Verlag Beamtenpresse, Berlin 1944, pp. 28–29.