Judenplatz - Bohemian Court Chancellery

Bohemian Court Chancellery

At Judenplatz 11 is the building of the Austrian Administrative Court of Justice (Verwaltungsgerichtshofs) beside the Austrian Constitutional Court of Justice (Verfassungsgerichtshofs) in the former Bohemian Court Chancellery, (Böhmische Hofkanzlei). The building was erected from 1709 to 1714 to the designs of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. After 1749, the remaining lots of the block were bought up and Matthias Gerl was put in charge of the expansion of the palace from 1751 to 1754, symmetrically doubling the construction westward. Further rebuilding took place in the 19th century, the palace essentially received its present day look at that time. The façade on Judenplatz was originally the back of the building, only since changes in the 20th century has the main entrance gate been found there. The female figures over the gates of this building represent the Cardinal virtues(moderation, wisdom, justice and bravery), and above are the coats of arms of the Bohemia and Austria. In the middle of the attic line, an angel stands with trombone, at whose feet a Putto crouches. Four vases and two male figures who are presumably Bohemian Kings Wenceslaus I and Wenceslaus II are at the angel's sides.

The building was originally the official seat of the Bohemian Court Chancellery, which was united organizationally with the Austrian Court Chancellery in 1749. In 1848, occupancy changed to the Ministry of the Interior which remained in the palace until 1923. From 1761 to 82 and 1797 to 1840 resided also the Oberste Justizstelle, the forerunner of the Austrian Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof).In 1936, the Bundesgerichtshof moved into the palace, and on 12 March 1945 a part of the building was destroyed by a bomb strike. The rebuilding was under the management of the architect Erich Boltenstern and was completed in 1951. Since 1946 the palace has been the seat of the public legal jurisdiction in Austria, home to both the Constitutional Court of Austria and the Administrative Court of Austria.