New films marking the Court’s 70th anniversary

Press Release No. 86/2021 of 28 September 2021

The Federal Constitutional Court is celebrating its 70th anniversary today. The Court was officially inaugurated on 28 September 1951 with a ceremony attended by Federal President Heuss and Federal Chancellor Adenauer.

Despite this being a special anniversary year, the Court can only open its doors to the public in virtual fashion due to the pandemic. So today, we are launching our new film “Behind the Justices’ decisions – an inside look at the Federal Constitutional Court” to complement the numerous projects already underway (see the website for more details). The film takes you behind the scenes at the Court, showing how judgments and orders are prepared, introducing the Justices and other members of staff, and providing a unique glimpse inside the building in Karlsruhe. It is also available with subtitles, audio description and in English. 

Another film presents a compilation of German TV items on major decisions issued by the Federal Constitutional Court over the last 70 years. The selected material ranges from original footage of the Court’s founding in 1951 to a recent feature on the First Senate’s 2021 climate change decision. 

The films are also available on the Federal Constitutional Court’s YouTube channel.