The law of public procurement, also known as procurement law, has gained significant importance in recent years. However, the historical foundations of this legal area are often overlooked. The work addresses these historical foundations in its first part and explains all the important regulations regarding the awarding of public contracts that have emerged in Germany from the 16th century to the present day. Special attention is given to the efforts for a federal legislative regulation at the beginning of the 20th century. In the second part of the work, alongside changes resulting from the Procurement Law Amendment Act, some perspectives on future legal developments are also presented.