Bezirksgericht Abtenau

The Abtenau District Court is a protected historic building in the market town of Abtenau in the Hallein district. It stands on Markt 1, facing the parish priest’s house across the square. The site has housed courts since at least 1528, when a house was sold by the son of the local judge Pangraz Weibhauser. Archbishop Johann Jakob Khuen von Belasi took over the property in 1564, removed all dues and turned it into an official court building. The present structure dates from 1773, replacing an earlier one damaged by floodwater. Hofmaurermeister Jacob Pogensperger designed the new two-storey building with a central projection and a north-facing gable. Plans called for five window bays, but seven were built, and a curved gable window became a simple oval instead. The original door and the tented roof above the cornice remain intact. Between 1984 and 1989 the building underwent full restoration. Today the former court serves as the town hall for Abtenau. Inside, the entrance hall and stairway still show the original finishes. The ground floor offices occupy rooms once used for holding cells and the court usher’s quarters. Outside, the low stone wall and small pond recall the fishpond mentioned in a 1604 description.