German Civil Code (1896) The unification of Germany in 1871 only gradually brought uniform legal standards to the country. Although the 1870s was a time of rapid standardization, the drafting of a common civil code was not completed until 1896. Ratified in 1899, it was a cornerstone of the “rule of law” over aristocratic privilege. It was championed by liberals as a milestone in establishing the rights of the common citizen. Below is the title page of the German Civil Code, which was published in Berlin in 1896.