The building was constructed in the late 19th century as a judicial complex combining court functions and detention. Its architecture was deliberately austere: thick masonry walls, narrow windows, and a clearly separated cell wing. The interior layout, with long corridors and confined spaces, was designed to enforce control and constant supervision.

In the early months of 1933, the detention wing was repurposed as a frühes Schutzhaftlager. Individuals deemed politically unreliable were held without formal charges or judicial proceedings. Although this phase was relatively brief, it marked a significant shift from conventional justice to political repression.

Afterwards, the complex returned to judicial use. During the GDR period, it continued to function for legal administration and pre-trial detention, with the original structural layout largely preserved. Functional modifications altered the interiors, but cells, corridors, and surveillance elements remained clearly identifiable.

Following the end of the GDR/DDR, the detention section gradually lost its function. The building now stands as a layered witness to more than a century of judicial authority and political control, embodied within the same walls.