Kneiphof Town Hall (german: Kneiphöfisches Rathaus) was the town hall of insular

Kneiphof Coat of arms of Kneiphof Postcard of Kneiphöfsche Langgasse Reconstruction of Kneiphof in Kaliningrad's museum Kneiphof (russian: Кнайпхоф; pl, Knipawa; lt, Knypava) was a quarter of central Königsberg (Kaliningrad). During the ...

, first an independent town and later a quarter of

Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was name ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It served as Königsberg's city hall from 1724 to 1927, after which it became a museum until its destruction in 1944. The town hall, or Rathaus, was located along Brodbänkenstraße. First documented in 1374, it was renovated in 1387. Political and religious disputes between the

Prussian estates The Prussian estates (german: Preußischer Landtag, pl, Stany pruskie) were representative bodies of Prussia, first created by the Monastic state of Teutonic Prussia in the 14th century (around the 1370s)Daniel Stone, ''A History of Central Europe ...

and ducal Prussian officials during the 1560s led to involvement by King

Sigismund II Augustus Sigismund II Augustus ( pl, Zygmunt II August, lt, Žygimantas Augustas; 1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548. He was the first ruler ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, sovereign of the

Duchy of Prussia The Duchy of Prussia (german: Herzogtum Preußen, pl, Księstwo Pruskie, lt, Prūsijos kunigaikštystė) or Ducal Prussia (german: Herzogliches Preußen, link=no; pl, Prusy Książęce, link=no) was a duchy in the region of Prussia establish ...

. On 28 October 1566

Albert I, Duke of Prussia Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...

, had the councilors

Johann Funck Johann Funck, Funk or Funccius (7 February 1518 - 28 October 1566) was a German Lutheran theologian. He was beheaded after a court intrigue. Life Funck was born in Wöhrd, now part of Nuremberg. After obtaining an M.A. at the University of Witte ...

, Matthias Horst, and Hans Schnell beheaded at the town hall's marketplace, with Johann Steinbach and

Paul Skalich Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

fleeing the country. From 1695 to 1697 the town hall received a Baroque restyling with pilasters, bell tower, roof sculptures, and a gilded staircase with a pair of shield-holding bear statues. With the unification of Kneiphof, Altstadt, and

Löbenicht View of Löbenicht from the Pregel, including its church and gymnasium, as well as the nearby Propsteikirche Löbenicht ( lt, Lyvenikė; pl, Lipnik) was a quarter of central Königsberg, Germany. During the Middle Ages it was the weakest of ...

into Königsberg in 1724, the Kneiphof Town Hall was chosen as the city hall. In 1838 the building was expanded to the east with three windows. The magister's hall was decorated with a stucco roof by an unknown master. The city council met in the Junkersaal wing. Before the building was a monument of

Hans von Sagan Hans von Sagan was a heroic figure from East Prussian folklore. Hans was said to be a journeyman shoemaker from the Königsberg town of Kneiphof. At a crucial point during the 1370 Battle of Rudau between the Teutonic Knights and the Grand Duchy ...

. In 1927 the city administration moved to the

Stadthaus Stadthaus is a nine-storey residential building in Hackney, London. At nine stories (30 meters/98 feet), it is thought to be the second tallest timber residential structure in the world, after the Forte apartment complex in Melbourne, Austral ...

in northern Königsberg, with a few departments remaining in Kneiphof. In the same year the painter Eduard Anderson advocated for the creation of the Königsberg City Museum within the town hall, which opened in 1928. The Kneiphof Town Hall was destroyed in August 1944 during the

Bombing of Königsberg in World War II The bombing of Königsberg was a series of attacks made on the city of Königsberg in East Prussia during World War II. The Soviet Air Force had made several raids on the city since 1941. Extensive attacks carried out by RAF Bomber Command dest ...

. Image:RathBrodbaenkenstrv.jpg, Postcard depicting the town hall and Brodbänkenstraße, ca. 1907 Image:RathausfassadeKönigsberg.jpg, Facade of the town hall

References

* * {{Authority control 1374 establishments in Europe 1944 disestablishments in Germany Buildings and structures completed in 1374 Buildings and structures demolished in 1944 Baroque architecture in Germany Buildings and structures in Germany destroyed during World War II City and town halls in Germany Former buildings and structures in Königsberg

See also

References