The Idea of the Construction Police in the Historical Perspective against the Background of the German Legal Culture

Abstract

Th Construction Police, as a task (function) of the state, is the public safety department, which ensures the safety and culture for the using of the building objects. Th institutional roots of this department date back to the age of Enlightenment, the doctrinal ones – to early modern period or even earlier and the legislative ones – to the 19th century. Ths Police is connected with the fire and sanitary safety of buildings. Building laws became the part of the code law, then of police ordinances and, finally, the separate building ordinances were issued (in cities at fist). In the German territories, the period after the Thirty Years’ war was of great importance for the development of the legislation and the building policies, together with the development of cameralism (Kameralismus) and political economy (Polizeiwissenschaft). Th 19th century was the era of codification of the building law in the form of nationwide building acts.