Last Updated on June 27, 2021 by LawEuro
German Civil Code (BGB) German law
Division 4
Periods of time and fixed dates
Section 186
Scope of applicability
The interpretation provisions of sections 187 to 193 apply to the fixing of periods of time and dates contained in statutes, court orders and legal transactions.
Section 187
Beginning of a period of time
(1) If a period commences on the occurrence of an event or at a point of time falling in the course of a day, then the day on which the event or point of time occurs is not included in the calculation of the period.
(2) If the beginning of a day is the determining point of time for the commencement of a period, then this day is included in the calculation of the period. The same applies to the date of birth when the age of a person is calculated.
Section 188
End of a period of time
(1) A period of time specified by days ends on the expiry of the last day of the period.
(2) A period of time specified by weeks, by months or by a duration of time comprising more than one month – year, half-year, quarter – ends, in the case of section 187 (1), on the expiry of the day of the last week or of the last month which, in its designation or its number, corresponds to the day on which the event or the point of time occurs, or in the case of section 187 (2), on the expiry of the day of the last week or of the last month that precedes the day which corresponds in designation or number to the first day of the period of time.
(3) If, in the case of a period of time determined by months, the day on which it is due to expire does not occur in the last month, the period ends on the expiry of the last day of this month.
Section 189
Calculation of individual periods of time
(1) A half-year is understood to mean a period of six months, a quarter is understood to mean a period of three months, and half a month is understood to mean a period of fifteen days.
(2) If a period of time is specified as one or more than one whole month and a half-month, then the fifteen days shall be counted last of all.
Section 190
Extension of period
If a period of time is extended, the new period is calculated from the expiry of the previous period.
Section 191
Calculation of periods of time
If a period of time is determined by months or by years with the meaning that they are not required to run consecutively, a month is counted as thirty days and a year as 365 days.
Section 192
Beginning, middle and end of a month
The beginning of the month is understood to be the first day, the middle of the month the fifteenth day, and the end of month the last day.
Section 193
Sundays and holidays; Saturdays
If a declaration of intent is to be made or an act of performance to be done on a particular day or within a period, and if the particular day or the last day of the period falls on a Sunday, a general holiday officially recognised at the place of the declaration or performance, or on a Saturday, the next working day takes the place of this day.
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