Persönlich bekannt

I have always found it confusing that persons appearing (die Erschienenen) before a notary may be described as ausgewiesen durch Personalausweis or persönlich bekannt.  It makes it look as if there is a big difference between the two, but I don’t think there is. It isn’t a case of a) I saw the person’s passport and here is the number and b) an old acquaintance.

I dread to think how I used to translate this years ago, when I encountered it more often.

In fact there’s a good explanation on LEO, (by wienergriessler), as sometimes happens:

Jein: “dem Notar von Person bekannt” kann heißen, dass die Person sich bei einer früheren Beurkundung schon mit Ausweis/Pass “ausgewiesen” hat; der Notar darf aber m.W. auch dann “von Person bekannt” schreiben,wenn er die Person aus seinem persönlichen Kontakt kennt,ohne den Ausweis gesehen zu haben
(Beispiel: Ein Richter, den der Notar aus dem Gericht kennt, will etwas beurkunden lassen. Dann darf der Notar auch schreiben: von Person bekannt)

So it seems that in case b) the notary has copied out the ID/passport number before, in most cases.

I was reminded of this some time ago when I looked at Diatopische Variation in der deutschen Rechtssprache, by Brammbilla/Gerdes/Messina. I turned to pp. 314 ff., Recht in Bayern:

Wie die Untersuchung des Korpus ergibt, verwenden die bayerischen Notare nach 1899 die vorher in Bayern übliche Formulierung mir nach Namen, Stand und Wohnort bekannt nicht mehr, sondern nur noch die bayernunspezifische Formulierung mir persönlich bekannt.

I like the word bayernunspezifisch. But the earlier formulation made it clear to me what the wording means.

The book immediately gets very exciting on the subjects of Bavarian weights and measures (‘Das Dezimal betrug in Bayern ein hundertstel Tagwerk und das wiederum 34,07 Quadratmeter’), occupations and subject of contract (variant terms for potatoes and sausages).

 

2 thoughts on “Persönlich bekannt

  1. Case in point c): what happens in actual notarial practice when a world-famous ex-footballer like F. Beckenbauer goes for the first time into a notary’s office in Munich without any ID. The notary is sure that it is not FB’s brother or a double. So, quaere with this high level of recognition, whether der Erschienene / the appearer (a term used at para. 12-18 in Brooke’s Notary, Sweet & Maxwell) is ‘personally known to’ the notary.

    Note for the US: the (token) answer about personal introductions to the notary in point not sufficing: http://members.usnotaries.net/faq.asp?FaqSubCategoryID=57
    http://members.usnotaries.net/faq.asp?FaqSubCategoryID=57

  2. Beckenbauer would have to produce his passport or ID card. Where do you think we are?
    Thaniks for the links. It does look as if ‘personally known’ in the US does mean more than ‘showed his ID last week’. Maybe ‘of known identity’ is a clearer translation (not usually important here).

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