Summary

During the last one and a half or two centuries, the legal development of Estonia, Livonia and Kurland has undergone three revolutionary changes. The author mainly focuses on the legal reform of the 19th century as the most revolutionary period in the legal system of Estonia. At that time, the Estonian legal system began to show features characteristic of Western legal traditions which have survived until today. West-European modern law adapted to the needs of the Russian culture became under the influence of the German culture in the Baltic Sea provinces. Therefore, legal changes here had a different impact than in inland provinces. Unlike in Russia, such changes did not bring about an increasing division between the Baltic Germans and peasants but contributed to the formation of the Estonian elite. The author examines the main features and reasons of such development.