Town hall (Bodenheim)

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The town hall of Bodenheim

The town hall of Bodenheim in the district of Mainz-Bingen in Rhineland-Palatinate dates from 1608 and is considered to be one of the most beautiful half-timbered houses in Rheinhessen . It is a typical example of the Franconian-Hessian half-timbered construction of the Renaissance around 1600.

history

The building was originally built from 1608 as a new courthouse by the Mainz Knights' Monastery of Sankt Alban . In the first years after it was built, witch trials were held here from 1612 onwards , to which at least 27 citizens fell victim. A vault under the north half of the building is still called the "witch cellar" today.

In the course of the centuries the structure has been rebuilt numerous times. The ground floor, which is massive today, was originally an open hall with arched openings that were later walled up. The partially disturbed half-timbered structure above the entrance indicates that an outside staircase used to lead to the upper floor. The building was last renovated in 2008. Today it is a listed building and houses the municipal administration of Bodenheim including the seat of the local mayor.

Appearance

The bay window at the town hall

The Bodenheim town hall has two floors . It consists of a ground floor made of sandstone and an upper floor made of richly decorated half-timbering .

There is an oriel on the south side in the middle of the gable front , which is decorated with foliage carvings made from stylized vine leaves and grapes and the Bodenheim coat of arms. The corner posts and other beams of the framework are also decorated with foliage, grimaces and moldings. On the north side of the building there is a wooden head with its tongue sticking out. The names of the mayor and the lay judges of the year of construction can be seen on a window bar . The town hall is also decorated inside with excellent stucco work.

The building is closed off by a gable roof . On the south side of the town hall below the bay there is a running fountain from the 19th century.

See also

literature

  • State Office for Monument Preservation (ed.): Cultural monuments in Rhineland-Palatinate. Volume 18.2, Mainz-Bingen district , edited by Dieter Krienke, Worms 2011

Web links

Coordinates: 49 ° 55 ′ 47.1 ″  N , 8 ° 18 ′ 24.1 ″  E