Do you see how Justitia stands here guarding the Aarhus Courthouse? This is no ordinary statue. It represents justice.
The Aarhus Courthouse needed a new building by the turn of the 20th century. The population had more than doubled in 40 years. The old jailhouse was falling apart. Prisoners kept escaping. The Old City Hall was too small. It housed the courthouse, police station, and city hall.
The city council knew a solution was needed. They needed new, large, modern buildings. But the decision was complicated. The city and the surrounding county managed the court together. The Danish Ministry of Justice had to approve any changes.
The new courthouse was placed on Bispetoften. A committee was formed. They needed to find a good design. In 1901, the committee announced a contest. They listed what the courthouse should include. The winners were chosen. Construction began soon after. Municipalities around Aarhus and the county paid for the project. They also funded its operation.
The Aarhus Courthouse was finished in 1906. By the 1930s, space was running out again. The city kept growing. More institutions moved into the building. In 1937, a new law required municipalities to provide rooms for the Ministry of Justice for free. Aarhus no longer needed to fund the courthouse. In 1940, it was sold to the Danish state.
The building sits back from the street. It lines up with a building on Christiansgade. The architect Hack Kampmann chose this spot. The courthouse has three wings. It has three floors made of red brick. The base is covered in grey granite. The main staircase is also granite. The windows on the bottom two floors have rounded arches. The third-floor windows are square. The large hip roof is covered with black glazed brick.
Karl Hansen Reistrup designed the decorative features. He also designed the interior of Aarhus Theatre. There are two bronze lions at the corners of the side wings. Two bronze lanterns stand here as well. They are copies of lamps from Palazzo Strozzi in Florence from 1500. The Coat of Arms on the front was made by Elias Ølsgaards. The jailhouse behind the courthouse has four floors. It features a large arched window. It faces Emanuel Sejrs Gade.
Justitia stands as a reminder. Justice is important. It is blind. It is impartial. The sword represents the execution of justice. The scales represent a balanced sentence. This Justitia Statue is a fitting guardian for the Aarhus Courthouse.