The 48 articles in this volume, written in honour of Reinhard Zimmermann, explore the method of historical comparative law in various fields of private law, including the law of obligations, property law, and the law of succession. They describe points of contact between different legal traditions through academic discourse, personal dialogue, and practical reception. The authors all share the conviction that legal phenomena can often only be properly understood through a combination of historical and comparative perspectives. The volume traces the historical paths of European legal traditions, focusing on the crossroads at which the contemporary European legal systems have taken shape.