Altes Gericht Fürstenberg

The Old Court of Fürstenberg (old patrician court)
The old courthouse is located on the approach to the castle of the Counts of Westphalen. From 1737 to 1848, this was the private court of the Lords of Westphalen. The basis of jurisdiction was the court order of Emperor Charles V from 1532, which was still valid in the diocese of Paderborn until the 19th century and punished crimes - from today's perspective - with extreme severity. In the basement of the building, seven windowless prison cells bear witness to the conditions under which the prisoners were once held. They have been preserved in their original state, with bars, chain rings and locking devices.

Now that the entire building has been restored, it houses a museum that vividly presents 700 years of legal history in the Paderborn region. The members of the Förderkreis für Kultur, Geschichte und Natur im Sintfeld e.V. (Society for the Promotion of Culture, History and Nature in the Sintfeld) have, at the suggestion of the owner. Count von Westphalen, have awakened the Old Court from its slumber. This was possible thanks to funding from the German Foundation for Monument Protection, the NRW Foundation and the EU Leader+ funding program.