About Otto Gierke Otto Gierke (1841-1921) was a German lawyer, legal philosopher, and historian. He was a professor at Breslau (1871–84), Heidelberg (1884–87), and Berlin (1887–1921). Books by Otto Gierke Associations and Law The Classical and Early Christian Stages by (author) Otto Gierke edited and translated by George Heiman Associations and Law The Classical and Early Christian Stages by (author) Otto Gierke edited and translated by George Heiman