The Comparative Legal Analysis in the Area of Animal Protection Legislation – with Particular Emphasis on 19th-century German, Austrian and Russian Regulations

The article presents a comparative legal analysis of regulations concerning animal protection throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The aim of focusing on this research area was to illustrate the dynamic changes in this field. For the purpose of the analysis, the scope has been limited to German, Austrian and Russian legislation acts, which, due to historical circumstances, were in force on Polish lands. Significant changes in Polish regulations from the interwar period have also been examined, with relevant case law being cited. The legal-dogmatic method was also applied. The discussed topic is placed in a broader cultural context, presenting successive regulations not as isolated legislative episodes, but as part of a broader trend shaping subsequent changes. The influence of various ideas (Kant, Bentham) on law and animal protection is also highlighted. Further discussion may be initiated by comparing the content of this paper with the Polish Act of 21 August 1997 on the Protection of Animals. Such a comparison would allow for reflection on whether the 1990s legislation satisfactorily addresses the needs of contemporary reality.