Profile Major Works Resources

Georg Obrecht, 1547-1612.

Alsatian 16th C. jurist and early Cameralist at Strasbourg

Born in Strasbourg, Georg Obrecht studied law at Tübingen and thereafter moved to Paris in 1570 to continue his studies.  A protestant, Obrecht was caught up in the troubles of the French Wars of Religion and narrowly escaped the St. Bartholomew Day's Massacre in 1572,  albeit losing his library in the process.  He made his way to Basel, where he obtained his doctorate in 1574.  Obrecht became a professor of law at the University of Strasbourg in 1575, where he would remain for the much of the remainder of his life.  He became rector of the university in 1593, presiding over the period where Strasbourg eclipsed Wittenberg as the center of Protestant learning.

Obrecht's early works, e.g. 1605, 1606, argues for the establishment of State insurance for children (as a revenue-raising device for the State - parents would pay into it during the lifetime of the child, the sum handed back should they survive to adulthood.).  Obrecht's principle economic work, Fünff underschiedliche Secreta Politica, (published posthumously in 1617, although an earlier edition - date unknown - had already been privately published for circulation among policymakers.)  It was composed as an administrative and fiscal handbook for Emperor Rudolf II, whom Obrecht served as a legal advisor since 1604.  It is a series of five memoranda addressing population statistics and policy, fiscal property valuation, and fire insurance.

 

  

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Major Works of Georg Obrecht

  • Disputatio De Compensationibus, 1594 [bk]
  • Oikonomia donationis simplicis et relatae, in quinque disputationes distinctae, 1595 [bk]
  • Tractatus de iurisdictione et imperio, 1602 [bk]
  • Tractatus de necessaria defensione, 1604 [bk]
  • Discursos bellico-politicus, 1605 [bk]
  • Politisch Bedencken und Discurs, von verbesserung Land und Leut, anrichtung gutter Policey, unnd fürnemlich von nutzlicher erledigung grosser außgaben, und billicher vermehrung eines jeden Regenten und Oberherren Jährlichen gefähllen und einkummen, 1606 [1617 ed]
  • Fünff underschiedliche Secreta Politica, von Anstellung, Erhaltung und Vermehrung guter Policey, und von billicher, rechtmässiger und nothwendiger Erhöhung, eines jeden Regenten jährlichen Gefällen und Einkommen
    • , 1617  [bk, bay] [1644 ed], - extracts
  • Ein kurzes Bedenken, welcher Massen ein Stand deß Reichs, so mit großen Ausgaben beladen, sich derselben erledigen, auch seine Gefäll und Einkommen verbessern möge, 1620 [bk] 

 
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Resources on Georg Obrecht

 

 
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