Ármin Neumann (1845-1909)

lawyer, jurist, professor, court councilor, deputy. He was born in Nagyvárad (today Oradea, Romania) on 14. February 1845, died in Budapest on 31 January 1909.

He finished his high school studies in his hometown.  His father wanted him to be a rabbi, therefore he came to the yeshiva of Balassagyarmat, where he became the pupil of Chief Rabbi Aaron David Deutsch z'tl. Later he prepared his rabbinical career at the Jewish theological seminary of Breslau (today Wrocław,  Poland) than he devoted himself to the study of law at the universities of Berlin and Vienna, and took his degree at Budapest in 1868. In 1869 he opened a law-office at Papa, where he was also notary of the local Jewish Community.  In 1870 he moved to Székesfehérvár, where he showed up soon with his juristical articles and studies. Here he wrote his main work "Explanation of the Hungarian Commercial Law" in three volumes.  In 1882 he was appointed privat-docent in commercial law at the University of Budapest. In 1884 he moved his office to Budapest. Ha founded many charity organizations such as the Gardener Training School of the Israelite Agricultural and Handicraft Organization. In 1887 he was elected to be a Liberal Party  deputy of the city of Bereck (today Bretcu, Romania) to the Hungarian Parliament. He fulfilled this position until 1903. Meanwhile he also became freeman of the city.  He was examination comissioner of patent affairs and member of the Committe of Justice and the  Committe of Economics.  In 1889 he was appointed associate professor at the University of Budapest.  In 1889 he became a member of the parliamentary commission for the codification of the laws, and in recognition of his services he received from Emperor Francis Joseph I. the title of "aulic councilor."

He wrote many studies. His last juristical work is a major thesis about the international regulation of sale business.   He wrote articles to "Nemzet" (Nation), Pester Lloyd, "Egyetértés" (Concord) and to Neues Pester Journal;  to the Gazette of Law (1871. The  North German Penal Code, 1800. The responsibility of the carrier for loss and damage, 1881. Paragraph 463 of the Commercial Law, 1886. book review, 1887. Decision contraries to matters of jurisdiction, 1888. Proposal of the new trade mark bill); to "Magyar Pénzügy" (Hungarian Finance) (1893. Reform of the cooperatives); to "Nemzetgazdasági Szemle" (Review of National Economy) (1895. The cheque and its legislation); he was also a fellow worker of the Great Lexicon of Pallas.

His main works:

• Explanation of the Commercial Law. Budapest, 1878., 1880., 1882. Three volumes. (2nd completely revised edition: Budapest, 1892-97. Two volumes in two parts)
• Insurance transactions by the Hungarian Commercial Law. Budapest, 1882. (Reprint from Vol. 3. of the Explanation of the Hungarian Commercial Law).
• Essence and legal nature of life insurance. Budapest, 1881. (Essays of the Hungarian Lawyers Association).
• About the settlement of our currency. Budapest, 1891.
• Explanation of the Law on the Protection of  Trademarks. (2nd law of 1890). Budapest, 1892. (Reprint from Vol. 2. of the Explanation of the Hungarian Commercial Law)
• The German Imperial Law of 1892. about limited liability companies. Budapest, 1893. (Essays of the Hungarian Lawyers Association. VIII. 77.).
   

Sources:

• Hungarian Jewish Lexicon. Ed. by Peter Ujvári. Budapest: Magyar Zsidó Lexikon. 1929. p.651. Reach online
• Hungarian Biographic Lexicon   
• József Szinnyei: Biography and works of Hungarian writers.
• 

 
(Yechiel)

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