Schuldner

Schuldner is a person or entity that owes a debt or fulfills an obligation to one or more creditors. In civil law, a Schuldner can be a natural person or a legal entity such as a corporation or partnership. Obligations arise from contracts, statutory duties, or other legally recognized claims. The debtor’s assets typically secure the creditor’s claim, and creditors may seek enforcement if the obligation is not fulfilled.

Obligations usually include the repayment of money, the delivery of goods, or the performance of services. If the Schuldner cannot meet a claim, creditors may pursue enforcement measures under relevant law, and in cases of broader inability to pay, insolvency procedures may be invoked. In many jurisdictions, specific conditions such as insolvency or over-indebtedness trigger formal proceedings. In German law, for example, Zahlungsunfähigkeit (inability to pay) and Überschuldung (over-indebtedness) can lead to insolvency proceedings. In such proceedings, a court may appoint an insolvency administrator to manage and realize the debtor’s assets for the benefit of creditors, and the debtor’s powers may be limited or supervised during the process.

Debtors can be natural persons or legal entities, including individuals, corporations, and partnerships. The term Schuldner is used across legal, financial, and everyday contexts and is paired with related concepts such as Gläubiger (creditor), Forderung (claim), and Vermögen (assets). In addition to formal insolvency mechanisms, many jurisdictions offer debtor-relief or debt-counseling services to help reorganize or restructure obligations.