Abstract

The Austrian Civil Code (ABGB), which was in force in the districts of the courts based in Lvov and Krakow in the Interwar period, stipulated the principle of freedom of testing by the testator. That freedom, however, could harm the inheritance rights of the persons who were the nearest to the testator. The institution protecting the rights of these persons was the legitimate share which they were entitled to as heirs-at-law. The basis to assess the height of the legitim was the size of inheritance. However, while estimating the
legitimate share, donations which the heirs-at-law (persons entitled to the legitim), heirs and legatees had received from testators were taken into consideration as well. The ABGB provided that in the case where the legitim which the heirs-at-law were entitled to was depleted (not at full height) they could demand completion of it. Questions concerning which donations were taken into account and which were not while estimating the height of the legitim due to different practices in this respect were the subject of many courts’ adjudgments. The jurisprudence in this sphere was not uniform. It stipulated compensation of the depleted legitimate share both in kind (in the form of proportional part of the donation) and as a financial benefit, with time evolving towards the latter to a greater and greater extent.