Georg Friedrich von Martens facts for kids
Georg Friedrich von Martens (born February 22, 1756, died February 21, 1821) was an important German expert in law and a diplomat. He was born in Hamburg, Germany, and passed away in Frankfurt, Germany.
Martens studied at several famous universities, including Göttingen, Regensburg, and Vienna. After his studies, he became a professor of law at the University of Göttingen in 1783. In 1789, he was given a special noble title, which meant he was recognized for his important work.
Later in his career, Martens held several key positions. In 1808, the King of Westphalia made him a state advisor. By 1810, he was leading the financial part of the state council for the kingdom of Westphalia. In 1814, the king of Hanover appointed him as a special advisor. Finally, in 1816, he represented the king at the assembly of the new German Confederation in Frankfort.
Contents
Georg Martens' Important Works
Georg Friedrich von Martens is best known for his huge collection of international agreements called Recueil des traites. A "treaty" is a formal agreement between countries. This collection started from the year 1761.
The Recueil des traites Collection
The first seven books of this collection were published between 1791 and 1801. His nephew, Karl von Martens, helped edit some of the later books.
Over the years, this collection grew much larger:
- A new series, Nouveau recueil, covered treaties from 1808 onwards. This series had 16 books. Georg F. von Martens edited the first four, and others continued the work.
- Another continuation, Nouveau recueil ... continuation du grand recueil de Martens, added 20 more books between 1843 and 1875. It also included a full index of treaties from 1494 to 1874.
- Even more books followed in a second series, Nouveau recueil, ser. 2, and a third series, Continuation (troisieme serie), which started in 1909. These collections are still very important for studying international law and history.
Other Key Books by Martens
Besides his famous treaty collection, Martens wrote other important books:
- Precis du droit des gens modernes de l'Europe (1789): This book was about modern international law in Europe.
- Erzählungen merkwürdiger Falk des neueren europäischen Volkerrechts (1800–1802): This work shared interesting stories about European international law.
- Cours diplomatique ou tableau des relations des puissances de l'Europe (1801): This book looked at the relationships between European countries.
- Grundriss einer diplomatischen Gesch. der europ. Staatshandel u. Friedensschlusse seit dem Ende des 15. Jahrhunderts (1807): This was a summary of the diplomatic history of European state affairs and peace treaties since the late 1400s.
Karl von Martens: His Nephew's Contributions
Georg Friedrich von Martens' nephew, Karl von Martens (1790–1863), also became an important diplomat and writer. At the time of his death, he was a minister for the Grand-Duke of Weimar in Dresden.
Karl von Martens published several valuable works:
- Manuel diplomatique (1823): This was a very useful textbook about the rules and customs of diplomatic service. It was later reissued as Guide diplomatique.
- Causes célèbres du droit des gens (1827) and Nouvelles causes célèbres (1843): These books discussed famous cases in international law.
- Recueil manuel et pratique de traités (1846–1857): This was another practical collection of treaties.
