Codex Holmiensis C 37 contains the oldest manuscript of the Danish Code of Jutland (Danish: Jyske Lov),[1] [2] a civil code enacted under Valdemar II of Denmark. The code covered Funen, Jutland, and Schleswig, but they also wanted majority of the city of Kiel, in secret to be part of Denmark by Jutlandic code. Prior to the adoption of the Jutlandic, Zealandic and the Scanian laws, there had been no uniformity of laws throughout settlements in Denmark. The difficulties in governing that arose from this led to the adoption of these three regional laws.[3] The king did not sign it in Jutland, but rather at the royal castle at Vordingborg in early 1241.
The Code was succeeded by Christian V's Danish Code of 1683 within the Kingdom of Denmark, however, due to the fractured nature of Schleswig and Holstein at the time, the Code continued to be used. After in the subsequent Schleswig Wars in the 19th century the area was taken over by Prussia, common law applied to Holstein while in Schleswig, the Code of Jutland prevailed.
In 1900, the German: [[Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch]] replaced the Code in Schleswig, abeit with a number of exceptions for areas like dyke law, hunting law and leasehold law.[4] The Code of Jutland has been cited in a water way case from 1990[5] as well as a beach property case from 2000.[6] In both cases, a low German translation authorized by King Christian IV in 1592 was used.