Doctoral thesis for the General Cultural Studies program at the Open University Netherlands. The paper deals with the oeuvre of the architects Johan Frederik Metzelaar and Willem Cornelis Metzelaar. The problem statement of the thesis is: To what extent has the oeuvre of the architects J.F. Metzelaar and W.C. Metzelaar determined the face of Justice in the Netherlands to the present day? From the problem statement, five research themes have been formulated:1. The relevant historical context for the period 1870 to 1914. 2. A biographical sketch of the Metzelaars, with emphasis on their professional careers. 3. An outline description of their oeuvre. 4. To what extent the structures realized by the Metzelaars still exist today and, if so, what is their current purpose and have they undergone (major) modifications. 5. Answering, on the basis of the aforementioned points, the question to what extent the oeuvre of the architects J.F. Metzelaar and W.C. Metzelaar has determined the face of Justice in the Netherlands up to the present day.