Town Hall Of Görlitz
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The Town Hall of Görlitz has been the place of the city's administration and jurisdictions since 1350. It was first mentioned in a document by the
Görlitz Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...
council in 1369. Its interior dates back partly to the
Renaissance period The Renaissance ( , ) is a period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and surpass the ideas ...
and
baroque period The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from the early 17th century until the 1750s. It followed Renaissance art and Mannerism and preceded the Rococo (in ...
. Over the centuries the administration grew, so did the town hall. It utilises several buildings of different epoches on the Lower Market Square 6–8. The town hall tower was raised in the 16th century, in 1524 a clock with two dials was added. Those were modified in 1584 by ''Bartholomäus Scultetus'' who joined the mechanisms of the day time clock with the upper moon phase clock. Wendel Roskopf the Elder built a council besides the staircase. In 1591 a stone
Lady Justice Lady Justice () is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems. Her attributes are scales, a sword and sometimes a blindfold. She often appears as a pair with Prudentia. Lady Justice originates from the personificat ...
was added - a symbol of high Jurisdiction of the cities council. The
heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branc ...
relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...
from 1488 by King Matthias Corvinus of
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
and
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
indicates the affiliation to
Upper Lusatia Upper Lusatia (, ; , ; ; or ''Milsko''; ) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to the north, it makes up the region of Lusatia, named after the Polabian Slavs, Slavic ''Lusici'' tribe. Both parts of Lusatia a ...
. In 1903 the new town hall extension building in
Renaissance Revival architecture Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...
was finished.


Origin

In the 13th century, bohemian magistrates, noble families and craftsman lived closely together. Multiple courtyards spread across the small city. The noble families and rich merchants married to form lineages. A civil administration consisting of council members has been established in 1264, lay judges exist since 1273 and the first mayor came to office in 1282, later leading to a council constitution. With the new rights, the city administration got more and more disentangled from the bohemian administration. In 1303, Görlitz got the town privilege and began the plannings of an administration building. During this time a wooden construction was the place of administration. Due to a lack of space, they decided against a completely new building and instead decided to purchase an existing boehmian courtyard in the southwest of the Lower Market Square in 1350. In 1369 the town hall was first mentioned in a report by the Görlitz council to the
Emperor Charles IV Charles IV (; ; ; 14 May 1316 – 29 November 1378''Karl IV''. In: (1960): ''Geschichte in Gestalten'' (''History in figures''), vol. 2: ''F–K''. 38, Frankfurt 1963, p. 294), also known as Charles of Luxembourg, born Wenceslaus (, ), was H ...
, when a craftmans revolt was described:


History

The town hall features architectural styles from many eras. Both the interior and exterior have been altered several times over the centuries or have had to make way for more contemporary buildings.


Lower Market Square 6

Lower Market Square 6 is the oldest part of the town hall. It consists of the lower part of the tower and the building on the northern side. Originally, the building was the residence of a bohemian servant, dating back to pre-Gothic times, thus it contains one of the oldest building stocks of the town. The facade was mostly unplastered. Thus, one could examine the carefully crafted colorful joints of the brick structure. There were two large pointed arch openings on the second floor of the building. They date back to gothic times and one can find them on old drawings. The room behind served as the mayor's official residence and was recognizable as such from the outside due to its high location. In the beginning of the 16th century the building was raised in
Gothic style Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...
. Further reconstruction measures were carried out in the 19th century axially aligned the window heights of the upper floors.


Town Hall Tower

The ''Turret'' was first mentioned in 1378. In 1511 to 1516 the tower was raised by superintendent of city construction Albrecht Stieglitzer to today's height. He justified the expansion that it would provide a better overview and better protection for the city. In 1524 a clock with two dials was added. Those were modified in 1584 by ''Bartholomäus Scultetus'' who joined the mechanisms of the day time clock with the upper moon phase clock. The lower clock has a head of a city guard in the center of the dial. According to legend, he was walled in alive inside the tower, because he overslept a town fire. Every minute the head opens his eyes and they begin to shine orange. This resembles the fire. In fear he opens his mouth. A lion (the
heraldic animal In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an ''escutcheon'' (shield). That may be a geometric design (sometimes called an ''ordinary'') or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object, building, or othe ...
of
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
) is located on top of the two clocks in a gothic arch. First mentioned in 1564, it was supposed to scare away thieves with its powerful roar at midnight with the help of an organ. The historian Richard Jecht reports the lions roar was deactivated, because "pregnant woman were freightened" by it. On 9. July 1742 a lightning strike destroyed the upper parts of the tower, which were reconstructed shortly afterwards. Two new upper clocks and two bells were added as well by Friedrich Körner from Sorau/Żary. In 1917 during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
the bells were melt down for war production. A plaster cast of the larger one is preserved to this day and is located in the bay window of the town hall. Today, the town hall tower can be visited and offers a great view of Görlitz.


Town Hall Staircase

The Town Hall Staircase erected in 1537 by Wendel Roskopf is a masterpiece of the
early Renaissance Renaissance art (1350 – 1620) is the painting, sculpture, and decorative arts of the period of European history known as the Renaissance, which emerged as a distinct style in Italy in about AD 1400, in parallel with developments which occurr ...
in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. The curved staircase leads up to the portal of the courthouse wing and the pulpit, which was built at the same time. The latter rests on the side of the staircase on a pair of columns with a constricted shaft. The sculptor Andreas Walther I decorated the staircase with patterns unusual for that time. One of them shows
Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...
in the fall.
Putti A putto (; plural putti ) is a figure in a work of art depicted as a chubby male child, usually naked and very often winged. Originally limited to profane passions in symbolism,Dempsey, Charles. ''Inventing the Renaissance Putto''. University ...
using the banister as a slide are found next to Siren that fill the decorative fields of the pulpit. The original reliefs were replaced by copies in 1950. They are now located inside the building, sheltered from erosion. The sophisticated portal was made by Wendel Roskopf as well. In 1591 a stone
Lady Justice Lady Justice () is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems. Her attributes are scales, a sword and sometimes a blindfold. She often appears as a pair with Prudentia. Lady Justice originates from the personificat ...
was added. In contrast to the usual representation with the sword, scales and blindfold, this sculpture lacks the latter. This is no critique of the Görlitz jurisdiction, but can be interpreted that her view and judgment is not clouded. The current Lady Justice is a copy from 1952 made by Werner Hempel, because the original sculpture was brought to safety across the
Lusatian Neisse The Lusatian Neisse (; ; ; Upper Sorbian: ''Łužiska Nysa''; Lower Sorbian: ''Łužyska Nysa''), or Western Neisse, is a river in northern Central Europe.
but never returned after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. For newly married couples, the staircase is a popular place for wedding photos.


Coinage in Lower Market Square 7

Görlitz began to produce coins in 1220 as tenant until 1330, when King
John of Bohemia John of Bohemia, also called the Blind or of Luxembourg (; ; ; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He is well known for having died while fighting ...
allowed the town to produce them on their own. In 1429
Emperor Sigismund Sigismund of Luxembourg (15 February 1368 – 9 December 1437) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 until his death in 1437. He was elected King of Germany (King of the Romans) in 1410, and was also King of Bohemia from 1419, as well as prince-elect ...
allowed the city to produce silver coins on their own: 12 or 14 Görlitz- Heller are the equivalent to 6 or 7 Görlitz-
Pfennig The pfennig (; . 'pfennigs' or 'pfennige' ; currency symbol, symbol pf or ₰) or penny is a former Germany, German coin or note, which was an official currency from the 9th century until the introduction of the euro in 2002. While a valua ...
which is the equivalent of one bohemian
Groschen Groschen (; from "thick", via Old Czech ') is the (sometimes colloquial) name for various coins, especially a silver coin used in parts of Europe including Kingdom of France, France, some of the Italian states, and various states of the Holy R ...
. Görlitz began coinage in 1449 and bought the building next to the town hall: ''Lower Market Square 7''. In 1468 a total value of 540,000 bohemian Groschen were produced - measured in Görlitz-Pfennig this would have been at least 3,780,000 pieces. Görlitz never produced Groschen on their own except for some trials mintings. From 1500 onwards, polish coins flooded the region due to the massive export of cloths by tradesmen while the quality of Görlitz-Pfennig decreased. More and more people accepted the polish coins. This led to an exchange loss of the coins. Because towns in
Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...
had a shortage of smaller valued coins and offered a better exchange rate, the city's council tried to get rid of their coins in Silesia. From 1510 to 1515 the town produced '100 times 1000 '' Schock'' '. With one Schock being equivalent to 60 Groschen, this means a total of 42.000.000 pfennig were produced in five years. This amount led to massive quality deduction so other cities began producing Görlitz-coins, making the original coins worthless. One could find coins of that time abandoned and hidden still until 1880 inside some historic buildings.
Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
(150 km from Görlitz) used the economic weakness and obtained the
staple right The staple right, also translated stacking right or storage right, both from the Dutch , was a medieval right accorded to certain ports, the staple ports. It required merchant barges or ships to unload their goods at the port and to display them f ...
to increase its economic power.


New Town Hall

The newest part of the building complex was built in 1903. The architect Jürgen Kröger chose the
Neo-Renaissance style Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of ...
. The building is a reminiscence of the 17th century Görlitz residential houses. The structure looks imposing and it displayed the spirit of the emerging city. Richly designed
pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...
s dominate the front facade. In contrast to the market front, side and the rear facade were simply covered with white tiles. Facing the Lower Market Square there are the six emblems of the six towns of the
Lusatian League The Lusatian League () was a historical alliance of six towns in the region of Upper Lusatia from 1346 until 1815, when the region was controlled first by Bohemia (1346–1635) and later by the Electorate of Saxony (1635–1815). The member towns ...
. The town hall enthrones on several baroque portals, which come from the two residential houses that had to give way to the construction. Görlitz Neues Rathaus Wappen Görlitz.jpg, Emblems of
Görlitz Görlitz (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, East Lusatian: , , ) is a town in the Germany, German state of Saxony. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after ...
Görlitz Neues Rathaus Wappen Bautzen.jpg, Emblems of
Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin (), until 1868 ''Budissin'' in German, is a town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the Bautzen (district), district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree (river), Spree river, is the eighth most ...
Görlitz Neues Rathaus Wappen Zittau.jpg, Emblems of
Zittau Zittau (; ; ; ; ; Lusatian dialects, Upper Lusatian dialect: ''Sitte''; ) is the southeasternmost city in the Germany, German state of Saxony, and belongs to the Görlitz (district), district of Görlitz, Germany's easternmost Districts of Germ ...
Görlitz Neues Rathaus Wappen Löbau.jpg, Emblems of
Löbau Löbau (; , ) is a city in the east of Saxony, Germany, in the traditional region of Upper Lusatia. It is situated between the slopes of the Löbauer Berg and the fertile hilly area of the Upper Lusatian Mountains. It is the gateway to this volca ...
Görlitz Neues Rathaus Wappen Lauban.jpg, Emblems of
Lubań Lubań (; ), sometimes called Lubań Śląski (; , ); is a town in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship in southwest Poland. It is the administrative seat of Lubań County and also of the smaller Gmina Lubań (although it is not part of the territory ...
Görlitz Neues Rathaus Wappen Kamenz.jpg, Emblems of
Kamenz Kamenz () or Kamjenc ( Sorbian, ) is a town (''Große Kreisstadt'') in the district of Bautzen in Saxony, Germany. Until 2008 it was the administrative seat of Kamenz District. The town is known as the birthplace of the philosopher and poet Gotth ...


Literature

* Dietmar Ridder, Siegfried Hoche: ''Das Rathaus der Stadt Görlitz. Ein Baugeschichtlicher Rundgang'', Görlitz 2004.


References

{{coord missing, Saxony Buildings and structures in Görlitz Tourist attractions in Görlitz