On the ground floor of the Palace is the ‘Vierschaar’, a tribunal space. When the building was still a town hall, this was where the death sentence was pronounced, on average three to four times a year. This was a very important ceremony and, for that reason, the Tribunal was decorated elaborately with the marble works of sculptor Artus Quellinus.
Upon entering the Tribunal, the
condemned person immediately saw the sheriff and magistrates – the prosecutor
and judges – sitting on the long bench. And behind them, three depictions of
good judgement. In the middle was the Judgement of King Solomon, who managed to
find the truth in court through the use of a clever trick. The marble stories
were there to inspire the sheriff and magistrates to be wise and just.
From 1808, King Louis
Bonaparte used the Tribunal as a court chapel. Happily, he didn’t get rid of
the marble reliefs, but covered them with blue curtains. The story goes that
the hand of Lady Justice –between the windows onto Dam Square – stuck out through
the curtains and was unceremoniously chopped off, weighing scales and all.
