Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig: Tour of the building｜Germany

Current note: Due to construction work, the large courtroom is expected to be closed from June 1, 2026 to October 7, 2026. The guided tours will still take place. Our tour guides will describe the room with the aid of pictures. We ask for your understanding.

The Federal Administrative Court is the highest administrative court in Germany. In 14 chambers, judges decide disputes under administrative law and ensure the further development of the law. This certified, exclusive tour takes you on a journey through the history of the judiciary, to significant judgments and historic decisions, such as the infamous Reichstag Fire Trial of 1933 or the trial of October 1907, in which Karl Liebknecht had to defend himself for publishing his writings.

Built in 1879 as the Reichsgericht (Imperial Court of Justice) during the Wilhelminian era, the building embodies judicial tradition in imposing architecture. In the large courtroom, you will find impressive coats of arms of the states and portraits of emperors. You will also learn more here about the official attire that still identifies federal judges today: a crimson robe with a beret.

The tour guides will also tell you about the building's varied uses over the years, from being an art museum during the era of the German Democratic Republic to its return as the seat of the Federal Court of Justice in 2002. The tour along the cornerstone of German jurisprudence combines legal history, architecture and the current status quo of jurisprudence.