Palais de Justice of Strasbourg, Courthouse in the Neustadt, Strasbourg, France.
The Palais de Justice of Strasbourg is a courthouse on quai Finkmatt in the Neustadt, built of grey Pfalzburg sandstone. Its main facade has four tall columns beneath a triangular pediment carved with figures, and the frieze reads "PALAIS DE JUSTICE". A green copper roof crest carries a flagpole, and stone piers with lamps stand before the steps.
Built 1894–1897 by Skjold Neckelmann as the Landgericht of the then-German Strasbourg, it replaced a tribunal housed since 1789 in the rue de la Nuée-Bleue. In the 1918 revolution it briefly hosted Strasbourg's Supreme Soviet, which replaced the German Emperor's bust with one of Karl Marx. A 2014–2016 renovation by Jordi Garcés cost 63.2 million euros; it reopened in March 2017.
The pediment reliefs show allegories of Justice and Courage, and two sphinxes sit on the building. The entrance door carries a Gorgon mask meant to ward off evil. Inside, the light court is decorated with sphinxes and cartouche-like reliefs in a neo-Egyptian style.
The courthouse stands on quai Finkmatt in the Neustadt's Tribunal quarter, beside the Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune catholique church. Visitors can walk the paved forecourt and steps to see the four-column portico, the pediment reliefs and the two stone pylons, which are among the elements listed as monuments historiques since 1992. The building is an active tribunal, so interior access is not open to tourists.
The light court inside is decorated with sphinxes and cartouche-like reliefs in a neo-Egyptian style, contrasting with the Neo-Renaissance exterior. During the Second World War a Luftschutz cellar existed beneath the building. The two stone pylons in front of the main facade are separately listed with the facades and roofs as monuments historiques since 2 July 1992.
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