This book, the standard work on legal methodology, presents a historical-critical account of the development of legal theory and legal methodology in Germany, focusing on its most important representatives since Savigny. It addresses the doctrine of legal norms, the formation of legal facts, and the necessary assessments for this, as well as the methods of statutory interpretation and judicial law development, along with the formation of concepts and systems in jurisprudence. The current 6th edition takes into account the extensive literature published since the previous edition and provides commentary on it. The revision achieves a higher degree of coherence and clarity. The discussions are made comprehensible through numerous examples from case law, particularly from the Federal Court of Justice and the Federal Constitutional Court.