Historic town hall

The old town hall, including the town archives, was destroyed in the great fire of 1485. As early as 1490, the city authorities decided to commission a new town hall. The resulting building still meets the demands of the time because of its solid construction, simple beauty and practicality. 

The town hall, a listed building, received an extension in 1609 and was renovated in 1907. It comprises a two-storied plaster building with gables and decorative bands of brick to the south. Inside, symbols for medieval crafts, trades and jurisdiction (butcher’s knife, ell, stone bushel, handcuffs) adorn the entrance area. The eastern side has the main entrance, with an open staircase covered by a column-supported canopy. Extensive work was done to renovate the Ratskeller (traditionally a bar in the basement of a German town hall).

Small half-timbered houses, old chestnuts and younger maple trees frame the market square, the original town center. This square has changed its character many times and was last transformed from 1994 to 1996. The paving of the market square traces the streetscape of the old town, while the historical market fountain represents significant events in the town’s history. An anchor symbolizes the old maritime town.