Ludwig Heinrich v. Jakob und der „Criminal-Codex für das Russische Reich“ von 1813

The first modern draft of a Russian criminal code, the so-called “Criminal Codes for the Russian Empire” of 1813, was written by German philosopher, political scientist and economist Ludwig Heinrich v. Jakob (1759-1827), who was a member of Imperial Legislative Commission. This article sheds light on v. Jakob’s biography, the historical context, the drafting of the Russian Empire’s Criminal Codex, and its publication in Germany. It further outlines Jakob’s theory of criminal law. The article concludes that v. Jakob, who was inspired by Kant, Smith und Feuerbach, has made a groundbreaking contribution to the modern codification of criminal law in the Russian Empire.