The Peace Palace

The Peace Palace stands at the edge of the centre of The Hague, in grounds of gardens and ponds, and it is the home of international law. It is a large, richly decorated building in the neo-Renaissance style with a high clock tower, designed by the French architect Louis Cordonnier and opened in 1913. Its construction was made possible by a gift from the American industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who was a strong supporter of the idea that international disputes should be settled by arbitration instead of war.

The origin lies in the first Hague Peace Conference of 1899, convened at the initiative of Tsar Nicholas II, which produced conventions on the laws of war and created the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the first mechanism for settling disputes between states. A second conference followed in 1907. A permanent home for the court was needed, and Carnegie's donation paid for the palace. Countries around the world contributed gifts to furnish it, and the interiors hold stained glass, tapestries, vases, marble, wood panelling and other works of art from many nations, an unusual sign of international cooperation.

Today the Peace Palace houses several important institutions. The International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, sits in the building, hearing cases between states and giving opinions on questions of international law. The Permanent Court of Arbitration continues its work, the Hague Academy of International Law holds summer courses for students and lawyers, and the Peace Palace Library has one of the world's leading collections on international law. Because the building is a working court, access is controlled for security reasons.

Visitors can see the exterior and the gardens from the fence, and the Visitor Centre at the entrance has an exhibition and a film about the history and mission of the palace. Guided tours of the interior are organised on certain days and have to be booked in advance. They usually include the Great Hall of Justice, the entrance halls and corridors and some other rooms, depending on what court sessions are being held.

The palace is close to other sights such as the Mauritshuis, the Binnenhof and the Haags Kunstmuseum. It suits visitors interested in history, law and architecture. A look at the exterior takes a few minutes, and a guided tour about an hour. Check booking arrangements and bring identification for the tour.