German civil law has two basic contracts for work done for someone else. Under a Werkvertrag, Section 631 of the Civil Code obliges the contractor zur Herstellung des versprochenen Werkes, to produce the promised work. The object of such a contract can be ein anderer durch Arbeit oder Dienstleistung herbeizuführender Erfolg, a result to be brought about by work or service. Under a Dienstvertrag, Section 611 obliges the provider zur Leistung der versprochenen Dienste, to perform the promised services. He owes the work itself, not a result.
A third contract is the employment contract in Section 611a. The employee owes work that is bound by instructions and determined by others. Das Weisungsrecht kann Inhalt, Durchführung, Zeit und Ort der Tätigkeit betreffen. The right to give instructions can cover the content, the execution, the time and the place of the work. The name of the contract does not decide this. If the way the contract is carried out shows an employment relationship, kommt es auf die Bezeichnung im Vertrag nicht an, the name in the contract does not matter.