Od szlacheckiego dziedziczenia ustawowego ku wolności testowania w Kodeksie Napoleona
From nobleman’s statutory succession to testamentary freedom in Code Napoleon

Summary/Abstract: Nowadays, Polish law of succession generally accepts the principle of testamentary freedom, which means that each man is able to dispose of his property as he wishes by unilateral act called will. Nevertheless the testamentary freedom was not always recognized by Polish law as the main principle ruling the succession law in Poland. In the beginnings, Old-Polish law was not acquainted with inheritance of the property at all, as in Middle Ages everything that was owned by family as a whole, created one unit called niedział. Although the family members didn’t have any share in this integrated property, they had rights to all of it as a whole. This entitlement neither could be transferred nor inherited by other family members, but they gained ex lege the deceased’s right to integrated family property (niedział). This process did not affected substance of property. During the 13th century, family bonds were loosened, which effected in the appearance ofindividual property. This resulted in creating rules of intestacy regulating passing on property, titles, debs and obligation upon the death of an individual (succession ab intestato). Testament as a legal institution appeared at the turn of 12th and 13th century. Still, the Old- Polish customary laws related to family members rights to property tried to resist testamentary freedom. Not until 19th century were radical changes introduced in the area of succession law all over the Europe, including Poland. The Age of the Enlightenment spread the idea of unlimited right of ownership and that finally led to the acceptance of testamentary freedom.

• Details
• Contents