besitze

Besitze is the first person singular present tense form of the verb besitzen, meaning I own or I possess. In German, the common noun for possession is Besitz, while Eigentum refers to the legal right of ownership. Although besitze is a verb form, it is sometimes encountered in texts as part of phrases like ich besitze das Auto; the noun Besitz is the standard term for possession in legal and formal writing.

In German civil law, possession (Besitz) is distinct from ownership (Eigentum). Besitz means the actual physical control or holding of a thing, regardless of who holds the legal title. Eigentum is the right to dispose of the thing and to claim it against third parties. Possession can exist without ownership, and a possessor may have protective rights against third parties who interfere with the possession.

There are two main forms of Besitz. Unmittelbarer Besitz occurs when the possessor has the thing in their own power. Mittelbarer Besitz occurs when someone holds the thing for another person, often through an intermediary such as a custodian or agent but does not exercise direct control themselves. These distinctions matter for questions of possession protection and responsibility for the object.

Besitz wird durch tatsächliche Gewalt über die Sache erlangt, typischerweise durch Übergabe oder durch vertragliche Vereinbarungen wie Leihe, Miete oder Verwahrung. Besitz kann verloren gehen durch Herausgabe oder Verlust der Sache, durch Aufgabe, oder durch rechtmäßige Übertragung an einen neuen Besitzer. Rechtliche Auseinandersetzungen über Besitz betreffen oft Schutzrechte gegen unerlaubte Besitzstörungen. See also Besitz, Eigentum, Rechtsgeschäft.