All continental European laws recognise provisions on actions performed without due authority. These provisions stipulate that in principle noone may intervene in the affairs of others, although from time to time it is socially desirable for third parties to assist in the affairs of those who cannot safeguard their own interests themselves. Deppenkemper gives an account of the historical, economic and sociological backgrounds behind these regulations and their continuing effects in the current laws and in the DCFR (Draft Common Frame of Reference). Numerous bibliographical references bring together authors from very different periods and places of judicial expertise for debate. In this way, Deppenkemper creates a new, solid foundation for discussion on common starting points for a European law of negotiorum gestio.