| Table of Contents |
| pt. I | Introduction | |
| 1). | Introduction | 3 |
| | References | 4 |
| pt. II | Treatment of Impossibility in Modern Laws and Unification Instruments | |
| 2). | Treatment of Impossibility in German Law | 7 |
| I). | German Law of Contracts in General | 7 |
| II). | Regulation of Impossibility Before the Reform of the German Law of Contracts | 8 |
| III). | Regulation of Impossibility After the Reform of the German Law of Contracts | 9 |
| 1). | Impossibility and Unexpectedness of Performance Under German Law | 10 |
| a). | Impossibility of Performance ([§] 275 I BGB) | 10 |
| b). | Unexpectedness of Performance due to Gross Disproportionality ([§] 275 II BGB) | 18 |
| aa). | Required Expenses and Efforts | 19 |
| bb). | Creditor's Interest in Performance | 21 |
| cc). | Gross Disproportion | 22 |
| dd). | Difference Between Practical Impossibility and the Interference with the Basis of the Transaction ([§] 313 BGB) | 26 |
| c). | Unexpectedness of Performance due to Personal Reasons ([§] 275 III BGB) | 28 |
| 2). | Legal Results of Impossibility Under German Law | 30 |
| a). | In General | 30 |
| b). | Responsibility of the Debtor | 30 |
| c). | Legal Results of Impossibility for Which the Debtor Is Not Responsible | 32 |
| aa). | Extinguishment of the Primary Obligation ([§] 275 I, II and III BGB) | 32 |
| (1). | Extinguishment of the Primary Obligation Under [§] 275 I BGB | 32 |
| (2). | Extinguishment of the Primary Obligation Under [§] 275 II BGB | 33 |
| (3). | Extinguishment of the Primary Obligation Under [§] 275 III BGB | 33 |
| bb). | Counter-Obligation | 33 |
| cc). | Substitutes | 38 |
| dd). | Return of Already Performed Counter-Obligation | 41 |
| ee). | Creditor's Right to Revocation | 42 |
| d). | Legal Results of Impossibility for Which the Debtor Is Responsible | 44 |
| aa). | Extinguishment of the Primary Obligation ([§] 275 I, II and III BGB) | 44 |
| bb). | Compensation Payment | 44 |
| (1). | Compensation Claim for Subsequent Impossibility | 45 |
| (2). | Compensation Claim for Initial Impossibility | 46 |
| cc). | Reimbursement of Futile Expenses | 49 |
| dd). | Counter-Obligation | 51 |
| ee). | Substitutes | 52 |
| ff). | Return of Already Performed Counter-Obligation | 53 |
| gg). | Creditor's Right to Revocation | 53 |
| | References | 54 |
| 3). | Treatment of Impossibility in Swiss and Turkish Laws | 61 |
| I). | Swiss Law of Contracts in General | 61 |
| II). | Turkish Law of Contracts in General | 62 |
| III). | Mommsen's Impossibility Doctrine | 63 |
| IV). | Regulation of Impossibility in Swiss and Turkish Laws | 65 |
| 1). | In General | 65 |
| 2). | Initial Impossibility of Performance | 66 |
| a). | The General Principle | 66 |
| b). | Elements of Initial Impossibility | 67 |
| c). | Legal Results of Initial Impossibility | 68 |
| aa). | Voidness of the Contract | 68 |
| (1). | Voidness of the Entire Contract | 68 |
| (2). | Partial Voidness | 70 |
| bb). | Counter-Obligation and Return of Already Performed Counter-Obligation | 71 |
| cc). | Compensation Payment | 71 |
| 3). | Subsequent Impossibility of Performance | 72 |
| a). | In General | 72 |
| b). | Elements of Subsequent Impossibility | 73 |
| c). | Interference with the Basis of the Contract | 74 |
| d). | Responsibility of the Debtor for the Occurrence of Subsequent Impossibility | 76 |
| e). | Legal Results of Subsequent Impossibility | 78 |
| aa). | Legal Results of Impossibility for Which the Debtor Is Not Responsible | 79 |
| (1). | Extinguishment of the Obligation | 79 |
| (2). | Counter-Obligation and Return of Already Performed Counter-Obligation | 79 |
| (3). | Substitutes | 81 |
| bb). | Legal Results of Impossibility for Which the Debtor Is Responsible | 82 |
| (1). | Compensation Payment | 82 |
| (2). | Counter-Obligation and Return of Already Performed Counter-Obligation | 83 |
| (3). | Substitutes | 84 |
| (4). | Creditor's Right to Revocation | 84 |
| cc). | Duty of Notification | 85 |
| 4). | Special Provisions Regarding Partial Impossibility of Performance | 85 |
| 5). | A Closer Look to the Legal Results: Voidness and Validity of the Contract | 86 |
| a). | Negative Results of Voidness | 86 |
| b). | Overcoming the Negative Results of Voidness | 88 |
| | References | 89 |
| 4). | Treatment of Impossibility in CISG and Other Unification Instruments | 93 |
| I). | Unification Instruments in General | 93 |
| 1). | CISG | 94 |
| 2). | PICC | 94 |
| 3). | PECL | 95 |
| 4). | DCFR | 96 |
| 5). | CESL | 96 |
| II). | An Overview of the Relevant Rules | 97 |
| III). | Conditions for Exemption from Liability | 100 |
| 1). | Impediment Beyond Control | 100 |
| 2). | Unforeseeability | 103 |
| 3). | Unavoidability | 104 |
| 4). | Causation | 106 |
| 5). | Notice | 106 |
| IV). | Scopes of Exemption Provisions | 108 |
| 1). | Hardship (Interference with the Basis of the Transaction/Excessive Performance Difficulty) | 108 |
| 2). | Non-conformity of the Goods with the Contract | 111 |
| 3). | Temporary Impediments to Performance | 112 |
| 4). | Partial Impediments to Performance | 114 |
| 5). | Liability for Third Persons | 114 |
| 6). | Exemption due to Interference by the Other Party | 116 |
| 7). | Initial Impossibility | 117 |
| a). | CISG | 117 |
| b). | PICC | 122 |
| c). | PECL AND DCFR | 123 |
| d). | CESL | 124 |
| V). | Legal Results of Exemption from Liability | 125 |
| 1). | CISG | 126 |
| 2). | PICC | 129 |
| 3). | PECL | 131 |
| 4). | DCFR | 132 |
| 5). | CESL | 133 |
| VI). | Damages in Unification Instruments | 134 |
| | References | 136 |
| pt. III | Comparative Assessment of the Laws | |
| 5). | Utility of Impossibility as a Dogmatic Concept | 143 |
| | References | 148 |
| 6). | Scope of Impossibility | 151 |
| I). | Generally | 151 |
| II). | The Classical Distinction of Logical and Legal Impossibility | 151 |
| 1). | Logical Impossibility | 152 |
| a). | Physical Impossibility | 152 |
| b). | Practical Impossibility | 152 |
| 2). | Legal Impossibility (Rechtliche Unmoglichkeit) | 153 |
| III). | The "Ideal" Scope of Impossibility | 154 |
| a). | Overview | 154 |
| b). | Practical Impossibility and Moral Impossibility | 154 |
| c). | Interference with the Basis of the Transaction | 157 |
| d). | The Concept of Legal Impossibility | 157 |
| e). | Accomplishment of Purpose (Zweckerreichung) and Destruction of Purpose (Zweckfortfall) | 158 |
| | References | 160 |
| 7). | Types of Impossibility and Their Treatment | 163 |
| I). | Objective Impossibility --- Subjective Impossibility | 163 |
| II). | Impossibility for Which the Debtor Is Responsible --- Impossibility for Which the Debtor Is Not Responsible | 167 |
| III). | Partial Impossibility --- Total Impossibility | 168 |
| IV). | Permanent Impossibility --- Temporary Impossibility | 171 |
| V). | Initial Impossibility --- Subsequent Impossibility | 173 |
| | References | 175 |
| pt. IV | Final Conclusions | |
| 8). | The Use of Impossibility as a Dogmatic Concept | 181 |
| 9). | Different Types and Scope of Impossibility | 183 |
| 10). | Legal Results of Impossibility | 185 |
| | Bibliography | 187 |
