Rechtsgeschichte – Legal History (Rg) is published by the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory and edited by the directors Marietta Auer, Thomas Duve and Stefan Vogenauer. The journal aims to be a forum for high-level scholarship on all branches of legal history. Its scope therefore reflects the full breadth of the discipline and is not restricted to particular periods of time or specific areas of law. Its particular profile derives from the research conducted at the Institute on the legal history of Europe, the common law worlds and the Iberian monarchies.

The journal has an international orientation and adopts a multilingual approach in order to reflect the diversity of global legal and research cultures. Each issue contains articles on a specific thematic »focus«, a section called »debate« or »forum« that brings together short and thought-provoking contributions to a current scholarly debate, and a »research« section with selected outstanding articles on questions of broader interest to legal historians. Reviews of recently published books on legal history can be found in the journal’s »critique« section.

The journal has been published by Klostermann Verlag since 2002. It initially appeared in print twice a year under the title Rechtsgeschichte. From issue 20 (2012) onwards, it has been published once a year as a printed edition by Klostermann Verlag and simultaneously online in Open Access. At the same time, the journal’s title was changed to Rechtsgeschichte – Legal History to reflect its strengthened multilingual policy. The printed versions of the current as well as back issues can be purchased at bookshops or directly via the publisher.

Rechtsgeschichte – Legal History is an international, multilingual journal that publishes legal historical contributions. In order to ensure the consistent quality of the publication, all submitted contributions are initially checked by the main editors and the editorial team regarding their general suitability. Contributions that make it to the following evaluation round are assessed by the editors as well as by at least one other researcher. The external reviewer is chosen on the basis of his/her expertise on the given topic as well as any relevant language skills. When it comes to selecting peer reviewers, the editors draw upon both a broad network of international experts and the recommendations of the editorial advisory board. The peer review process is anonymous, and authors will normally receive the decision (acceptance, rejection, need for revision) within two months time.

The next issue (Rg 32) will be released in September 2024.