The main parts of the new patrimonial law in the new Civil Code (referred to below as NBW) entered into force in the Netherlands with effect from 1 January 1992. Owing to the system designed for the transitional law, the provisions of most importance in practice (e.g., those concerning general conditions and the sale of goods) did not enter into force fully until 1 January 1993. It seemed to the editors of this journal to be a good idea to provide foreign readers with a survey of the main points of the NBW, since the ‘new’ law is now also being applied both in the courts and in legal practice, albeit sometimes rather uncertainly. I was kindly asked to provide this survey and am now pleased to accede to the request.