Görlitz Town Hall
The town hall of the city of Görlitz has been the place of municipal administration, power and jurisdiction since around 1350; In 1369 it was first documented as a town hall by a certificate from the Görlitz Council . Its magnificent interior goes back to the Renaissance period . It consists of several connected buildings on Untermarkt 6–8 and is now the seat of several offices.
The town hall tower was raised at the beginning of the 16th century, in 1524 it got a clock with two dials, which was converted into a twelve-hour clock by Bartholomäus Scultetus in 1584 . This also connected the normal time of day clock with the moon phase clock above . Wendel Roskopf the Elder installed the proclamation pulpit, which still exists today, next to the town hall stairs between 1537 and 1538 . In 1591 this was supplemented with the statue of Justitia as a sign of the high jurisdiction of the council.
The coat of arms relief of King Matthias of Hungary and Bohemia indicates that Upper Lusatia belongs to the country. The extension building, completed in 1903 in the neo-renaissance style , based on designs by the architect Jürgen Kröger, is adorned with the coats of arms of the member cities of the Upper Lusatian Six- City Association.
Origin and first mention
In 1303 the city of Görlitz received Magdeburg town charter and the planning of an administrative building began. During the construction and planning phase, a wooden predecessor building was the seat of the administration. Due to lack of space, a completely new building was abandoned and instead the decision was made in 1350 to buy an existing building in the southwest of the Untermarkt .
In 1369 the town hall was mentioned for the first time in a report from the Görlitz Council to Emperor Karl IV , when a craftsmen's uprising on November 1st was described.
"Thu si still stercker and come in front of the town hall ..."
architecture
The town hall shows architectural styles from many epochs. Indoor and outdoor areas have been changed several times over the years or have had to give way to more contemporary buildings.
Outward appearance
Under market 6
Untermarkt 6 is the oldest part of the building. The building consists of the lower part of today's town hall tower and the adjacent building to the north. Originally the building was the home of a Bohemian servant, which dates back to the pre-Gothic period . Most of the facade was unplastered. So you could examine the carefully crafted visible joints of the brick building.
There were two large pointed arch openings on the second floor of this building. These come from the Gothic and can be found on old drawings. The so-called royal room was on this floor. It served as the mayor's official residence and, due to its high location, could also be recognized as this from the outside. The two floors above have a significantly lower wall height.
At the beginning of the 16th century the building was extended. The renovation was kept Gothic. The niche on the north gable dates from this time. In the 19th century, further renovations were carried out to axially equalize the window heights of the upper floors.
The view of the city from Metzker-Scharffenbergk reveals an entrance building with dovetail crenellations. In the course of the baroque renovation this had to give way. In 1842 this was also removed. Since then, the town's wine cellar, which at that time was located in this part of the building, has also been open to the public. However, only the more privileged citizens of the city had access to it.
Work on a uniform facade, which was kept in the neo-renaissance style, began around 1870. The crowning of windows that still exist today is the result of this measure. In 1900 the smooth plaster was replaced by spray grout. This was the basis of today's facade structure.
Town hall tower
The so-called turret was first mentioned in 1378. At the beginning of the 16th century, between 1511 and 1516, the tower was raised by 60 m. The then Stadtwerkmeister Albrecht Stieglitzer justified the expansion with a better overview and better protection of the city. The new building had an octagonal shape and was surrounded by a parapet on the top floor.
In 1742 a lightning strike destroyed the upper part. Council mason Samuel Suckert rebuilt the tower in its current form. During the reconstruction, two clocks were placed on the market side. The lower one originally had 24 digits until it was replaced by a twelve-digit clock by Bartholomäus Scultetus in 1584 . This is occupied in the middle of the dial with the head of a city guard. According to legend, this was walled in alive in the tower, as it slept through a city fire. Every full minute he opens his eyes and the city fire is reflected in them (orange eyes), then he opens his mouth in amazement. The moon phase clock above is part of the lunar calendar . A lion's head, located above it in a Gothic opening, let out a powerful roar with the help of an organ at the new moon.
With the clocks, the tower also got two bells, which were melted down for war purposes in 1917. A plaster cast of the larger ones has been preserved to this day and is in the bay window of the town hall.
The tower was also the entrance to the royal room. The lavishly designed late Gothic portal goes back to this. Above it is the coat of arms of the then Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus , who was sovereign of Görlitz at that time .
Goerlitz turned from the heretic King George Podiebrad and held as the new ruler in the dispute over the crown of Bohemia. From a sculptural point of view, the coat of arms represents a special achievement, since the two flank figures are particularly delicate and designed in a prancing posture.
The town hall tower can now be climbed as an observation tower and offers one of the best views of Görlitz.
Town hall stairs
The town hall stairs , built by Wendel Roskopf in 1537 , are considered a masterpiece of the early Renaissance . The curved staircase leads up to the portal of the court wing and the Annunciation pulpit, which was built at the same time. It rests on the side of the stairs on a pair of columns with a constricted shaft. The sculptor Andreas Walther I decorated the stairs with patterns that were unusual at the time. One of them is the image of Eve in the Fall . Putti that use the banister as a slide can be found next to fish sirens that fill the ornamental fields of the pulpit.
In 1950 the originals of the relief plates were replaced by copies. Protected from the weather, it can now be viewed inside the building. The framed vestments portal typical for this period also comes from Wendel Roskopf. Medallions used in a variety of ways and putti heads are just two of the many rich decorations that adorn the portal.
In 1591 the pulpit was supplemented by a portrait of Justitia on the pulpit. In contrast to the usual depiction with a sword, scales and blindfold, this sculpture lacks the latter. This should not criticize the Görlitz case law; much more should be expressed that their view and their judgment are clear. The current portrait, however, is only a copy of the original, which was relocated across the Neisse during World War II and did not return after the end of the war.
For newly married couples, the town hall stairs are a popular place for wedding photos.
Court wing
The court wing is one of the oldest parts of the town hall. With two upper floors, it extends over part of Brüderstraße. Construction began at the beginning of the 15th century. It took around 200 years until it got the shape we know today.
After several renovations, the appearance of the wing also changed. Today it shines in the style of the neo-renaissance. However, the old Gothic state can be seen on drawings from the late 18th century. Construction was greatly simplified in the 19th century. The spray plaster that is still applied today dates from this time.
new town hall
At the beginning of the 20th century, the expansion of the town hall came to an end. The architect Jürgen Kröger completed the building in the neo-renaissance style in 1903. At the town hall, in the direction of Untermarkt, are the coats of arms of the Upper Lusatian Six- City Association . Each of them is presented by a warrior who holds the weight of the pillars on top of it.
The building is reminiscent of the Görlitz town houses of the 17th century. The structure looks imposing and at that time displayed the spirit of the up-and-coming city. Abundantly designed column elements dominate the front facade. In contrast to the lavishly designed market front of the building, the side and the rear facade were simply covered with white tiles. Overall, the town hall sits enthroned on several baroque portals that originate from the two town houses that had to give way to the building.
This was the last structural change to the town hall. The city administration now had more rooms to itself and the city savings bank had also moved its headquarters to the new building. The Ratskeller and a prison followed.
- Coat of arms of the Upper Lusatian Association of Six Cities on the new town hall
Coat of arms of Görlitz
Bautzen coat of arms
Zittau coat of arms
Löbau coat of arms
Lauban coat of arms
Coat of arms of Kamenz
Indoor
The main entrance has been on the columned portal of Untermarkt 8 since 1902. A portal with a staircase leads to the first floor. The many jumps in height inside, which make the building transitions particularly noticeable, are particularly noticeable. A paternoster lift installed in 1977 connects five floors. In 2010 it was shut down after an accident. The waiting benches in the corridors in front of the offices date partly from the Art Nouveau period . The portal leads directly to the citizens' office.
Wedding hall
Before you get from the citizens' office to the wedding hall, you reach the anteroom. This belongs to the original complex of Untermarkt 8. The Renaissance-style column built in the space between the windows is particularly striking. In a southerly direction you get to the actual wedding hall, which belongs to the building of Untermarkt 7. In the hall itself there is a baroque three-bay groin vault . The hall was used for weddings as early as 1936 .
Royal room
The royal room served as the mayor's reception hall for sovereigns and high nobility. It is located on the 1st floor of Untermarkt 6 and is one of the oldest rooms in the building. Its entrance area is adorned with a late Gothic frame profile. The name of the room comes from the status of Görlitz as the royal city of the Margraviate of Upper Lusatia. That is why many kings and emperors visited the town hall, such as Emperor Karl IV , Emperor Ferdinand I or King Albert of Saxony .
According to the name, the room has been worked to the highest quality. Ornate door frames from the Renaissance provide access to the gym. The barrel vault is decorated with baroque stucco from the 17th century. The main focus is on the three acanthus tendrils that have been worked along the ceiling.
Former city savings bank
On the first floor of the new town hall there is a corridor that was originally the middle part of a three-axis counter hall. The city savings bank was located in it. The hall took up the entire width of the building. In 1913 the Sparkasse moved into the new business premises between Berliner Straße and Postplatz. In the 1960s, new walls were drawn to gain office space. The vault in the northwest is still there.
literature
- Dietmar Ridder, Siegfried Hoche: The town hall of the city of Görlitz. A building history tour , Görlitz 2004.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Town hall tower on the website of the FVKS - Förderverein Kulturstadt Görlitz-Zgorzelec eV
- ↑ Knut-Michael Kunoth: Paternoster in Görlitz Town Hall remains on the chain for the time being - city administration wants risk analysis. In: Radio Leipzig. March 9, 2015, accessed October 13, 2016 .
Coordinates: 51 ° 9 ′ 22.3 " N , 14 ° 59 ′ 25" E