Town Hall (Narva)
Coordinates: 59 ° 22 ′ 46 ″ N , 28 ° 11 ′ 56 ″ E
The town hall in Narva ( Estonian Narva raekoda ) is one of the landmarks of the third largest city in Estonia . It was built between 1668 and 1671 according to plans by the Lübeck master builder Georg Teuffel . The baroque town hall with strong classical elements is one of the few buildings in Narva that was rebuilt in 1944 after the city was completely destroyed.
location
The spacious town hall square ( Raekoja plats ) extends in front of the building . The stock exchange (1695–1704), the city pharmacy and the houses of the Swedish upper class were in the immediate vicinity of the town hall. All buildings were destroyed in 1944.
history
From the second half of the 16th century, the city of Narva experienced a boom in trade with Russia . The Baltic Sea port offered favorable conditions for the wealthy merchants and generated high profits.
In 1629 Estonia finally fell to the Swedish crown in the Treaty of Altmark . Two great fires in the first half of the 17th century destroyed the city. Subsequently, Narva was largely able to build on its previous position in Russia trade. The Swedish authorities' ban on erecting wooden buildings in the city shaped the picture from then on. More and more baroque stone houses were built. The Dutch and northern German cities served as models.
In the second half of the 17th century, the city council commissioned the Lübeck architect Georg Teuffel , who was already active in the Baltic States , with plans for a new, representative town hall. It should be the center of the city.
In 1665 Teuffel presented the first model to the council. It was sent to the capital Stockholm and accepted there with some changes. The redesigns were mainly carried out by the Stockholm architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. Ä. (1615-1681).
The builder Zacharias Hoffmann (the elder) implemented the design in Narva. He was supported by the architect J. Bischoff and the stonemason H. Oracker. The interior work continued until 1675. The stone staircase from 1681 is the work of master J. Hecht.
The city of Narva was razed to the ground in 1944 in the German-Soviet battles of World War II . The town hall was also badly damaged. Only the foundation and the stone staircase remained.
The facade and vestibule of the town hall were rebuilt in the 1960s. The building initially served as a pioneer palace . It has been empty since Estonian regained independence. Occasionally, receptions and cultural events take place in the house.
In 1995 the roof and tower were renewed. The town hall clock on the main facade was restored in 2003.
The town hall is the only surviving 17th century building in the former baroque city of Narva, along with a few residential buildings on Koidula Street.
description
The town hall is one of the first baroque buildings in Estonia. The building has three floors. The basement is kept low. Eight wall pilasters emphasize the representative character of the main floor. In the central axis you can see the city coat of arms of Narva with two fish and two swords, a gable with the town hall clock and the slender wooden tower above a magnificent portal . On the top of the tower is a weather vane with a portrait of a stork. The animal reminds the councilors to be vigilant. The weather vane was gilded in 1671 by the master painter D. Grabben.
A triangular double flight of stairs leads to the main portal on the central axis . The railing was originally gilded. The entrance portal from 1686 is adorned with three allegorical figures symbolizing wisdom, justice and moderation. The portal was probably made in Stockholm by the Swedish sculptor Nicolaes Millich (active between 1669 and 1685) or his pupil P. Schulz.
Through the portal, the visitor gets into the vestibule of the town hall. The wooden ceiling was decorated with acanthus ornaments. A staircase led from the vestibule to the floor above with the council chamber. The hall was adorned with baroque ceiling paintings with the Latin inscriptions Vivens moriens, Semper ubique, Victoria and Loco et tempere .
literature
- Anton Weiss-Wendt : Must-valge linn / black and white city. Vana-Narva fotoajalugu / Photo story Narva. Catalog / Catalog. Tallinn 1997 (Estonian and German)
- Sten Karling : Narva. An examination of the building history. Stockholm 1936
Web links
- Narva Town Hall (Estonian)
- Architectural description (Estonian)
- Pro Narva Foundation (Estonian, English, Russian)
Individual evidence
- ^ Thea Karin: Estonia. Cultural and scenic diversity in a historical borderland between east and west. Cologne 1994 (= DuMont art and landscape guide ) ISBN 3-7701-2614-9 , p. 144