Abbreviations in German legal language are often the key to understanding the complete meaning of the text. This is especially evident in legal language as abbreviations are one of its main characteristics.
It is normal not to recognize abbreviations and have to look them up continuously, but gradually we will get to know more and expand our list. This will not only facilitate the understanding of the text but also the process of translation itself. Below, I propose a brief list that may help you get to know some typical abbreviations in German legal language:
| Abreviatura | Palabra completa en alemán | Meaning in English |
| BGB | Bürgerliche Gesetzbuch | German Civil Code |
| StGB | Strafgesetzbuch | German Penal Code |
| ZPO | Zivilprozessordnung | German Civil Procedure Act |
| StPO | Strafprozessordnung | German Code of Criminal Procedure |
| e.V. | Eingetragener Verein | Registered Company |
| GG | Grundgesetz | German Basic Law (Constitution) |
| GVG | Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz | German Law on the Organization of Courts |
| GmbH | Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung | Limited Liability Company |
| AG | Amtsgericht | Local Court |
| LG | Landesgericht | Regional Court |
| OLG | Oberlandesgericht | Higher Regional Court |
| BGH | Bundesgerichtshof | Federal Supreme Court |
| VwVfG | Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz | Administrative Procedure Act |
| BauGB | Baugesetzbuch | Building Code |
| BA | Bundesagentur für Arbeit | Federal Employment Agency |
| BVerwG | Bundesverwaltungsgericht | Federal Administrative Court |
| AO | Abgabenordnung | General Tax Code |
| BDSG | Bundesdatenschutzgesetz | German Federal Data Protection Act |
| GVG | Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz | Judicial Organic Law |
| StvollG | Strafvollzugsgesetz | Penal Execution Law |
| ArbG | Arbeitsgericht | Labor Court |
| FG | Finanzgericht | Economic-Administrative Court |
| GewO | Gewerbeordnung | German Industrial Code |
Table with abbreviations in German legal language.
When we encounter abbreviations like the ones above while translating or reading a legal text, we not only face the difficulty of deciphering them but also finding their linguistic equivalent in the target language.
I’m adding some links that may help you in case you can’t find the meaning of the abbreviation you are looking for:
