Preface

This book has been conceived as part of a wider project, referred to as the “Reinventing the Foundations of European Legal Culture 1934-1964” - FoundLaw - project, funded by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) / ERC grant agreement n°313100 and hosted at the University of Helsinki which has been my academic home from October 2013 until November 2017.

There are many people who have supported me along the way to achieving this work to whom I desire to express my gratitude.

First, I would like to thank Professor Kaius Tuori, Principal Investigator of the research project, who encouraged me over the four years of this research, who has supported me with remarkable patience, who has showed his friendly and open-minded character, giving me suggestions on my work, teaching me to explore new scientific perspectives, and guiding me throughout this period, while always giving me great academic freedom in how to go about my research. I am truly grateful to have been part of the wonderful group of people he has created around himself. To him, my sincere thanks.

During the four years of the project, I had the pleasure of getting to know and collaborating with my colleagues Doctors Heta Bjorklund, Magdalena Kmak, Ville Erkkila and Jacob Giltaij. I have shared many significant moments with them working together and discussing our research field, and they have taught me to study my subject matter from diverse perspectives I was not familiar with before. I wish to thank them wholeheartedly for their scientific assistance and support, and, above all, for their friendship.

The work presented in this book began at the Faculty of Law of the University of Helsinki in the fall 2013, and continued from the fall 2014 until the end of 2017, at the Network for European Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the same University.

Between June 2015 and July 2016 I had the fortune to spend one year researching at the Institut für geschichtliche Rechtswissenschaft of the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Christian Baldus for his hospitality and generosity in sharing with me his ideas and suggestions, and for having involved me in several scientific enterprises that were fundamental to my growth as a Romanist. I would also like to extend this gratitude to all the collaborators and members and scholars of the Chair for Roman and Civil law of the University of Heidelberg.

My warmest thanks are also extended to Professor Massimo Miglietta of the University of Trento, il mio Maestro, who has always followed and guided me in my studies, offering his comments and assistance, since from the time I was a University student. He has also been equally important in teaching me how to study Roman law and in transmitting the passion for the fascinating world it represents, both through his words and example.

I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Professor Valerio Marotta of the University of Pavia, who was my tutor when I was a Ph.D. student, for his generosity in supporting my work, as well as for his suggestions and contribution in teaching me how to approach the study of Roman law in its multifaceted expressions.

There are two other important moments during my research that I should acknowledge, namely, my stays at the Faculty of Law at the University of Bergamo in May 2017 and at the Institut für Römisches Recht at the University of Cologne between June and July 2017, respectively. I would like to express my deepest thanks to Professors Antonio Banfi and Martin Avenarius for their kind hospitality and the opportunity they gave me to participate in edifying scientific discussion.

I am also greatly indebted to Professors Lorena Atzeri of the University of Milan, Pierangelo Buongiorno of the University of Münster, Cosima Möller of the Freie Universität Berlin, Marko Petrak of the University of Zagreb, Ditlev Tamm of the University of Copenhagen, Laurens Winkel of the University of Rotterdam and Doctor Aleksander Grebieniow of the University of Warsaw, for providing interesting suggestions and their enlightening reflection and insights into topics considered in this book.

Saara Uvanto of the University of Helsinki and Friederike Michael of the University of Cologne have significantly contributed to the transcriptions of the archival documents and their revision. I have also received an essential assistance in the editing process and the proofreading of the text by Dr. Heta Björklund, Dr. Mark Shackleton and Dr. Simon Towle. To all of them, a sincere thank you.

And finally, a special thanks to Doctors Filippo Bonin of the University of Cologne and Nicola Recla whose human support and scientific knowledge in those years were an incredibly precious asset for me.

Nor can I forget all the people who have, through their love, affection and patience, enabled me to achieve all of this: my father Antonio and my brothers Francesco and Andrea, and my sister, Marta. It has at times been difficult to spend so much time away from them, but at the same time, this has allowed me to grow to understand of what their presence means to me. In many ways, they have helped me and have always been close to me, despite the physical distance. Without their support, I would not have been able to do what I have done.

Naturally, the responsibility for the views, opinions and errors in this book is entirely mine.

Verona, 15^th February 2018

Tommaso Beggio

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