summary 616 In that sense, although the new courthouse conception differed from the preceding, it did not represent a unique architectural solution.More accurately, it corresponded to current ideals, something which indeed had also been the case with the architecture of earlier courthouses. In the 1950s, 24 new rural district courthouses were built, many of them according to ten- or fifteen-year-old plans and all of them situated in urban surroundings. Some of the buildings were built in brick stone, while others were modern concrete constructions with brick facing.According to prevalent ideals, the architectural style, sometimes characterized as new empiricism, was based on well-known forms and materials, yet interpreted in new ways in order to correspond with the contemporary, anti-monumental approach. Although no courtrooms were identical, similarities were greater than before, in particular regarding the shape and character of the courts’ furniture. In contrast to early 20th century courtrooms, the bar had now been moved in front of the spectators’ first row bench and neither parties nor witnesses would stand on the platform when addressed. It was only for the court. The parties sat at a greater distance from the court and there was also a new piece of furniture, the witness box.Additions as well as certain alterations to the original drawings were still made during construction, but at this point no major changes could be carried out without communicating with the local authorities’ planning office. As before, implemented changes usually regarded the furnishing of the courtroom. The drawings corresponded with the National Board of Public Building’s standard furnishing of the 1930s, whereas the materialized courtroom often showed a different solution.The standard was considered out-of-date already in the 1950s, in particular the absence of a witness box, the position of the law clerk in a ditch-like compartment in front of the judge, and the design of the two parties’ tables. Although courthouses still contained several, simultaneous activities, the spatial and thus social conditions of the multi-functionality had changed as the different functions were more radically separated from each other. Sessions were held once a week, but the administrative work was basically not affected by the motion they caused.Most new courthouses contained apartments of different size and character, intended for various members of staff, but their users could come and go without being noticed from the court’s premises. On the whole, the design of the new buildings was more adapted to the purposes than previous buildings. In accordance with drawings, there were sufficiently large and
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