Unveiling a Surprising Twist for the North Rhine-Westphalian Constitutional Court
In an unexpected turn of events, the North Rhine-Westphalian Constitutional Court is set to call an existing grand building, the Freiherr-von-Vincke-Haus, located on Münster's Domplatz, their new temporary abode. This renowned edifice currently serves as the residence of the Münster district government.
The district president, Andreas Bothe, announced in a recent press release that a feasibility study is under way to determine whether the Freiherr-von-Vincke-Haus will suit the constitutional court's needs. It transpired that the President of the Constitutional Court, Barbara Dauner-Lieb, had informed Bothe's authority of the current situation.
This potential alignment of the Freiherr-von-Vincke-Haus with the Constitutional Court was discussed several years ago in a joint collaboration between the city, municipal government, and the Court. Even a university seminar facility nearby was pondered as an alternative location.
Nonetheless, the agreement had apparently not appeased Dorothee Feller, the Minister of Education (CDU), at the time. Consequently, in January 2022, Dauner-Lieb declared during the state parliament session that a new building had been planned for the court. The primary purpose was to create a parking area adjacent to the Higher Administrative Court (OVG). The court planned to relocate by 2026, repurposing a former bed store in the city center as a temporary makeshift solution while waiting for construction to commence. Presently, the Constitutional Court continues to utilize the OVG for hearings.
Subsequently, the need for a relocation arose after the state legislature decided to separate the Constitutional Court and the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia in terms of both space and personnel. Barbara Dauner-Lieb assumed the role of President of the Constitutional Court on June 1, 2021, while the Higher Administrative Court was led by her deputy Sebastian Beimesche following Ricarda Brands' retirement.
A representative from the Constitutional Court confirmed the plans to dpa (Deutsche Presse-Agentur) earlier this week. An architectural competition for the required interior modifications to the listed building on Domplatz is slated to conclude in the summer of 2024. The chosen contractor will subsequently begin converting the building, potentially rendering the new construction plans obsolete.
Notably, the "Westfälische Nachrichten" reported on this latest development.
Further Reading
- Delving into the proposed adaptations of the North Rhine-Westphalian Constitutional Court, the current focus turns to the Freiherr-von-Vincke-Haus on Münster's Domplatz, with potential consideration for the esteemed building to be repurposed as a temporary home for the court.
- Munich President Andreas Bothe acknowledged in a press release that a feasibility study has been commissioned to explore the suitability of the Freiherr-von-Vincke-Haus for this reconfiguration, with the court's President, Barbara Dauner-Lieb, initiating communication with the district government.
- The premise of using the Freiherr-von-Vincke-Haus for the Constitutional Court has been under consideration for several years, coinciding with proposals for a nearby university seminar building as an alternative location.
- With the possibility that the infrastructure modernization plans and new construction for the Constitutional Court may become redundant with the proposed use of the Freiherr-von-Vincke-Haus, Tobias Bothe's predecessor, as the Minister of Education and a CDU member, had seemingly held reservations about the initial plan in 2022.
