History of Private Law Codification in Bulgaria

Atanasov, Dimitar (2025) History of Private Law Codification in Bulgaria. CENTRAL EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE LAW, 6 (2). pp. 9-39. ISSN 2732-0707

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Abstract

This study traces the historical development of civil and commercial private law codification in Bulgaria from the nineteenth century to the present, situating it within the broader context of legal transplantation, nation-building, and modernization. It examines the pluralistic legal order under Ottoman rule, the influence of the Tanzimat reforms, and the early reception of Western European legal models—particularly Italian, French, and German—in the decades following Bulgaria’s Liberation in 1878. Through detailed analysis of legislative efforts across distinct historical periods, including the socialist era and the post-1989 democratic transition, the study highlights the eclectic nature of legal reception in Bulgaria and argues that the resulting civil and commercial legislation is not a mere transplant but rather a creative adaptation incorporating native and innovative elements. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of codification as a vehicle for legal and institutional transformation, the debates surrounding the adoption of a national civil code, and the ongoing challenges of legal modernization in the context of EU integration and technological change.

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