Palace of Justice, Nuremberg

The Nuremberg Palace of Justice (German: Justizpalast) is a building complex in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. It was constructed from 1909 to 1916 and houses the appellate court (Oberlandesgericht), the regional court (Landgericht), the local court (Amtsgericht) and the public prosecutor's office (Staatsanwaltschaft). The Nuremberg Trials Memorial (Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse) is located on the top floor of the courthouse.[1] The International Nuremberg Principles Academy is housed on the ground floor of the east wing since 2020.[2]

Palace of Justice
Justizpalast
Aerial view, 2009
Map
General information
AddressFuerther Str. 110, 90429
Town or cityNuremberg, Bavaria
CountryGermany
Construction started1909
Estimated completion1916
Design and construction
Architect(s)Paul Pfann
Known forLocation of the Nuremberg Trials
Website
museums.nuernberg.de/memorium-nuremberg-trials/
Nuremberg Trials at courtroom 600, November 1945
Courtroom 600 in 2012

Nuremberg Trials

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The building was chosen as the location of the Nuremberg trials (1945–1949) for the main surviving German war criminals of World War II because it was almost undamaged, was large enough, and included a large prison complex.[3] The choice of the city of Nuremberg was symbolic as the Nazi Party had held its large Nuremberg rallies in the city.[4]

The trials took place in courtroom number 600, situated in the east wing of the palace of Justice. The courtroom was used until 1 March 2020, especially for murder trials.[5] At the end of the Nuremberg Trials the courtroom was refurbished, and is now smaller. A wall that had been removed during the trials to create more space was re-erected. In addition, the judges' bench was turned 90 degrees and is no longer situated in front of the window, but stands where the witness box was placed during the trials.[6]

From the year 2000, courtroom 600 could be visited by tourists, during weekends. It was still used for court hearings until 1 March 2020. Since the completion of the new criminal justice centre on the west side of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice, the criminal trials of the large criminal chambers of the Nuremberg-Fürth Regional Court have been held there in a total of seven modern courtrooms.[7]

In December 2008, the courtroom was closed to the public due to construction works creating a permanent exhibition. The Nuremberg Trials Memorial hosted by the Nuremberg Municipal Museums was opened in November 2010. Since 2022, a media installation creates a virtual illusion of the courtroom at the time of the Nuremberg Trials.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Permanent Exhibition | Memorium Nuremberg Trials". museums.nuernberg.de. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. ^ International Nuremberg Principles Academy. "Move into the East Wing of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice". International Nuremberg Principles Academy. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  3. ^ "The Nuremberg Courtroom". encyclopedia.ushmm.org. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  4. ^ Registry of the International Criminal Court. "Nuremberg Trial Archives" (PDF). p. 14.
  5. ^ "Use after 1945 | Memorium Nuremberg Trials". museums.nuernberg.de. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Courtroom 600 as the site of the Nuremberg Trials". Museen der Stadt Nürnberg. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Letztes Urteil im historischen Saal 600". Legal Tribune Online. 19 February 2020.
  8. ^ "Media installation "Courtroom 600: Time Travel"| Memorium Nuremberg Trials". museums.nuernberg.de. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
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49°27.2603′N 11°02.9103′E / 49.4543383°N 11.0485050°E / 49.4543383; 11.0485050