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With over 240,000 volumes on constitutional law, administrative law 

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and European Union law, 

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the library serves current jurisdiction 

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and preserves historical legal works. 

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The Federal Administrative Court – the legal library with historical collections

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The legal library is housed in the 

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non-public area of the court. 

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Still, interested external persons may use the collections  

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upon prior appointment. 

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Legal journals and current legal literature 

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are available in the reading room.

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The other collections of the library 

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are housed in storerooms. 

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They include many loose-leaf binders 

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which can be updated page by page. 

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Every judge has his/her 

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own reference library. 

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It is always kept up-to-date.

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It features standard administrative law works 

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and literature for special legal fields. 

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In addition, legal databases as well as the online catalogue of the library 

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provide assistance for the legal analysis. 

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In order to prepare decisions and to research the development of laws, 

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historical legal works from the comprehensive old collections 

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are used on occasion. 

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These old collections comprise the former libraries 

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of the Prussian Higher Administrative Court and the Imperial Court of Justice, 

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which contain, among others, comprehensive material about civil service law. 

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With about 300,000 volumes, 

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the library of the Imperial Court of Justice was one of the most important 

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legal libraries in Europe at the end of World War II. 

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In 1950, the library was transferred to the Supreme Court of the GDR in East Berlin.

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For lack of space, substantial parts of the valuable collections were transferred, 

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passed on to other sites or sold.

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After the reunification, the Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) received the remaining collections. 

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When the Federal Administrative Court moved into the former building

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of the Imperial Court of Justice in the year 2002, 

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part of the Imperial Court Library returned to Leipzig, 

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among others, all volumes dating back to before 1800. 

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The oldest volume dates back to the 13th century.

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450 manuscripts and 281 incunables, 

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cradle books from the beginnings of letterpress printing, 

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are other precious, special works. 

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The library has rare works restored by specialised firms.

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Individual works, partly only on hand as unique copies, 

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were and are being digitised at the university library in Leipzig. 

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In that way, the library safeguards the historical collections

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and supports the court's work through its various services.