Vormaßen

Vormaßen is a historical term used in German-language administrative and legal literature to describe measures taken before a main decision or action. The term translates roughly as “pre-measures” and denotes steps intended to prepare the ground for a forthcoming administrative or judicial act.

Etymology and scope: From vor- “before” and Maßnahme “measure,” the concept circulated in late modern and early modern bureaucratic writing. The exact scope varied, but common elements included information gathering, preliminary inquiries, consultative processes, and provisional orders aimed at ensuring that the subsequent main decision could be made on a sound factual basis.

Applications: In public administration, Vormaßen could precede planning approvals, permit grants, or regulatory decisions. In civil procedure or administrative law, they could take the form of investigations, interim precautions, or conditions attached to future actions.

Legal status and decline: The binding force of Vormaßen depended on statutory frameworks and specific texts; some were advisory, others had binding effect inside a formal procedure. In many legal systems, the term fell out of common use as procedural law codified more explicit stages, though the underlying ideas remain present in modern pre-decision mechanisms.

See also: Vormaßnahme, Präliminarmaßnahmen, preliminary injunction.