Potsdam factory in William I

1866 65438+1October 13 King William I of Prussia boarded the Worry-Free Palace modeled after the Palace of Versailles in Paris and looked at the beautiful scenery. However, an old mill next to the palace blocked his view of the beautiful scenery, which made him disappointed. The mill does not belong to the royal family, so William I had to send someone to negotiate to buy it, but the stubborn miller resolutely refused to transfer it. In a rage, William I sent someone to tear down the mill.

The miller sued William I in Berlin High Court, demanding compensation for all the losses. This became the first "citizen v. king case" in the world legal history. The judge of the High Court finally ruled that William I's unauthorized use of the kingship violated Miller's private property rights and the provisions of Article 79, paragraph 6, of the 1849 Imperial Constitution, and should immediately restore the original state and compensate Miller for economic losses 150 yuan.

Under the influence of the tradition of rule of law such as judicial independence and supremacy of law, the miller defended his property right with law, and the judge established the authority of the constitution and law with fair judgment. The Potsdam Mill, rebuilt in William I, still stands next to the Sushi Palace, becoming a symbol of German judicial independence and the inviolability of private property.

This case deeply baptized the German people: the Constitution and laws should equally protect the palace and the mill of the poor. In a sense, this case created a good atmosphere for the drafting and promulgation of 1900 German Civil Code.