Old Town Hall

The Leipzig Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) is located in the eastern part of the Market Square (German Markt) and, due to its size, dominates its ensemble. On the other side of the building, the town hall is adjacent to Naschmarkt Square.

For the building of the Old Town Hall, built in 1556-1557 under the initiative of the ruling mayor and major merchant Hieronymus Lotter, fragments of the old building were used. The project of the building is attributed to Paul Speck, who began construction. After his death in early 1557, Paul Wiedemann continued his work. The building underwent several reconstructions in the following years and today is a reconstruction that dates back to the beginning of the XX century. A feature of the town hall is the asymmetrical location of the tower, which divides the facade of the building according to the golden ratio in accordance with the traditions of late Gothic architecture.

Under the tower there is a through passage connecting the Market Square with Naschmarkt Square and decorated with two niches with sculptural fountains “Bathing Boy” and “Bathing Girl”, created in 1909.

The Old Town Hall is one of the last surviving significant works of Renaissance architecture in Germany. Since 1909, the city government meets in the building of the New Town Hall, and in the Old Town Hall there is an exposition of the Leipzig Museum of the History of the city. In the interior decoration of the town hall, a large festive hall, a restaurant, Mendelssohn's hall, a peasant hall in the late Baroque style, an arms chamber and a treasury deserve attention.