The Old Town Hall in Leipzig: One of the oldest and most beautiful Renaissance town halls in Germany
October 18, 2025
One of Leipzig’s landmarks and one of Germany’s most important Renaissance buildings is the Old Town Hall. With a length of 100 meters, the Old Town Hall occupies almost the entire eastern side of the market square. Behind it lies Leipzig’s famous Naschmarkt. The first documented mention of a town hall dates back to 1360. Over the years, it was expanded and connected to two other buildings in the mid-15th century. In 1467, a new council chamber was completed. Due to flourishing trade, it was decided in 1498 to rebuild the town hall. Between 1556 and 1557, the ruling mayor and merchant Hieronymus Lotter rebuilt the town hall in just nine months, transforming it into one of Germany’s most important Renaissance buildings. Paul Speck was the first master builder. After his death, Paul Widemann took over this role. The city’s master mason, Sittich Pfretzschner, was also involved in the renovation. After the city administration moved to the New Town Hall in 1905, the Old Town Hall underwent extensive renovation and, as part of this, two decorative fountains were added to a niche inside and in front of the passageway to the Naschmarkt side. Since 1909, it has housed the City History Museum. During the air raids on Leipzig on December 4, 1943, during World War II, the roof truss of the Old Town Hall burned down completely. The building was restored between 1946 and 1950. The City History Museum reopened its doors in 1952. Further renovations took place between 1988 and 1990 and between 2017 and 2018. The two-story building with its stately gabled roof, 13 beautiful cross gables, five-story stepped gables on the narrow sides, and tower arranged according to the golden ratio houses a large banquet hall, the Ratsstube, where Johann Sebastian Bach signed his contract as Thomaskantor. It also houses the Mendelssohn Room, the Late Baroque Landscape Room, the Armory, late medieval ecclesiastical art, and the Treasury with the only authentic portrait of the legendary musical genius Johann Sebastian Bach by the painter Elias Gottlob Haussmann. I am always fascinated by the Old Town Hall in Leipzig. I am particularly impressed by its tower, with the councilors’ proclamation balcony and the town pipers’ trumpet opening above it, as well as its west facade with the astronomical clock. The Old Town Hall in Leipzig is rightly considered one of the most beautiful and oldest Renaissance town halls in Germany and is always worth a visit in my opinion.
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