Contemplate the weight of justice. It permeates the very stones of the Land- und Amtsgericht Essen. This imposing structure stands as a testament to Essen’s legal history. It serves as a focal point for the administration of law in this region.
The Landgericht Essen is responsible for a district with nearly 1.4 million residents. About 300 employees work here. The Landgericht Essen falls within the jurisdiction of the Oberlandesgericht Hamm.
Historically, the Amtsgerichte Bochum and Wattenscheid belonged to the Landgericht Essen. This changed in 1892 with the construction of the Landgericht Bochum. The Amtsgerichte Essen-Werden and Gelsenkirchen-Buer also belonged to the Landgericht Essen.
The Landgerichtsbezirk Essen was established in 1879. Several neighboring cities vied to host it. Essen secured the location by providing the land. The city guaranteed the building’s structural integrity because of frequent mining damage. Essen won the competition with these concessions. Until the new building was ready, the former government chancellery on Burgplatz was used.
The first Landgericht building was constructed between 1881 and 1883. It stood in the city center at III. Hagen 39/41. The location was at the corner of Logenstraße opposite the Salzmarkt. To ensure stability, the building comprised five individual structures. Each had an anchor system. Kreis-Bauinspektor Niedieck oversaw the construction. Engineer Gustav Diechmann managed the safety measures. The building served as a courthouse until 1913. The prison was located behind it.
Between 1908 and 1913, a new building was constructed on Zweigertstraße 52. Regierungsbaumeister Georg Güldenpfennig led the construction. Paul Thoemer created the preliminary design. The 140-meter-long, neo-baroque structure cost around four million marks. This equates to about 26 million Euros today. The building was inaugurated on April 4, 1913. Oberjustizrat Franz Christoph Büscher initiated the construction. Weyerstraße was renamed Büscherstraße in his honor that same day. The rebuilt east wing has been a protected monument since 2005.
In 1927, the Landesarbeitsgericht Essen was established at the Landgericht Essen. It was one of five Landesarbeitsgerichte in the Oberlandesgericht Hamm district.
After World War II, the British military government reopened the court. This was a provisional measure on November 28, 1945. Between 1950 and 1956, the building was reconstructed. Essener architect Alfred Pegels planned the reconstruction which cost over five million DM. The west wing was expanded, adding 60 new rooms. In the mid-1970s, another addition provided a canteen, library, and 22 more rooms. This was replaced in 2016 by a new building with courtrooms.
Following the murder of Judge Michael Teuber in 1998, a security lock was installed. This altered the facade on the building’s long side. A visitor who had been fined by Teuber shot him in his office. A glass panel with daily fresh flowers in the entrance commemorates him.
The building’s entrance features a permanent exhibit. It addresses “Justice under National Socialism.” The exhibit commemorates Jewish judges and lawyers who were dismissed, deported, and murdered after 1933. It documents acts of arbitrary justice committed by court employees and judges until 1945.
The Amtsgericht Essen is one of nine Amtsgerichte in the Landgericht Essen district. The Amtsgericht Essen is responsible for the city of Essen excluding the areas assigned to Essen-Steele and Essen-Borbeck.
The Amtsgericht Essen maintains the partnership register for all of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The Land- und Amtsgericht Essen stands as a guardian of justice. It preserves the memory of both triumphs and tragedies within its walls.