Old Town Hall (Warburg)
The former old town hall of Warburg is a building erected in 1337 , which served as the town hall of the old town until around 1436 and, alternating with the new town hall, served the joint council of the united town of Warburg until 1568 .
History and architecture
After the founding of the new town in Warburg , which was already ruled by a city council around 1239 , the old town was originally intended to be connected to the new town. The old town citizens, however, insisted on their legal independence and were able to get the sovereign, the Paderborn bishop Otto von Rietberg, in 1287, that they were allowed to expand their urban area as planned, walled it up and provided it with a large market square like the citizens of the new town.
The construction of the church in 1299 was followed by the construction of its own town hall as early as 1337, which - similar to that of the new town - was laid out freely on the north side of the rectangular market square and was also the same length of about 100 feet. It is still largely original today, including the medieval beamed ceilings and the roof truss.
The basement, which was only slightly lowered, consisted mainly of a flat hall, the central girder of which was supported by square pillars. This room was joined to the west by a lower-lying, barrel-vaulted cellar room.
The floors above were also open, two-aisled halls. Here beamed ceilings are supported by a central girder over a row of ornate oak columns braced against a saddle wood. One of these original columns is still in situ on the upper floor, the others were removed during later renovations. It can be assumed that the basement and the main hall were used as shopping halls in the Middle Ages, while the hall on the upper floor may have served the council meetings. Stone wall cupboards, washbasin niches and the remains of a lavatory can still be found in it.
The attic still has several levels of use, probably also served as a communal grain floor and, with its characteristic ridge column construction, is one of the oldest preserved roof structures in Westphalia.
When a new common town hall was built on the city wall " Between the Cities " in 1558 , the commercial functions could be given wider space. Among other things, two more vaulted cellars were installed for wine and beer storage. The former council hall was converted into a ballroom for the rifle society and was also used as an arsenal in the 17th century.
In 1825, under Mayor Wilhelm Franz von Hiddessen, the house was sold to private individuals, whose descendants still live there.
In 1967 the Gothic window frames and the stepped gables, which had been removed in the meantime, were reconstructed based on findings and historical images. Today, the building houses two restaurants and apartments.
literature
- Elmar Nolte: On the secular building of the medieval city of Warburg. In: Franz Mürmann (ed.): The city of Warburg. 1036-1986. Contributions to the history of a city. Volume 2. Hermes, Warburg 1986, ISBN 3-922032-07-9 , p. 147.
Coordinates: 51 ° 29 '8 " N , 9 ° 8' 48.3" E