Hamburg’s Rathaus is a fitting town hall for the great port city, if a little more ostentatious than usual for the Hanseatic. With hundreds of rooms, a fine baroque façade, and an impressive range of ornate mosaics and fountains, this bold sandstone structure houses the senate and parliament in Hamburg.
Take a moment to appreciate the scale of this great building, which covers some 17,000 square metres (182,986 square feet). Construction for the building took 11 years to finish after its beginning in 1886 when the former town hall burned down. It has 647 separate rooms, even more than the Buckingham Palace in London. Highlights include a courtyard with a fountain, a number of majestic rooms where meetings and concerts are held, and a restaurant in the basement. A hidden room, accidentally discovered in 1971, has led some to believe that other rooms may exist elsewhere in the depths of the Rathaus.
Admire the town hall’s impressive Baroque façade, designed in the Neo-Renaissance style and furnished with statues of emperors. In the courtyard you will find a fountain that represents Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health. This fountain was built in commemoration of the cholera epidemic that occurred late in the 19th century.
Look up above the main entrance and read the Latin inscription which means: “The descendants shall seek worthily to maintain the freedom achieved by their forebears.” Passing through an iron gate, you will reach the elegant entrance hall. Linger a while and appreciate the classical portraits, marble staircase, and sandstone pillars that decorate the space.
Don’t miss the grand painting on the ceiling of the Kaisersaal (Imperial Hall). Another favourite feature is the lovely balcony that stands above the main entry, decorated with a mosaic, a statue, and colourful flowers. Down in the basement, you will find a reasonably priced restaurant.
The Hamburg Rathaus is located in the Altstadt quarter of central Hamburg, easily accessible by bus or via the Rathaus subway station. Parliament convenes there every Tuesday afternoon, and the grand lobby often hosts concerts that are open to the public.
