Šumperk Town Hall, Municipal building in Šumperk, Czech Republic
Šumperk Town Hall is a Saxon Neo-Renaissance building with Art Nouveau details, erected in 1910–11 in the middle of náměstí Míru. Its facade carries three statues: Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg, Rudolf I of Habsburg and the knight Roland, a symbol of trade. The design came from Vienna architects Ludwig Schöne and Georg Berger, and the Šumperk builder Hugo Nader carried out the construction.
A town hall existed here by 1475; the Gothic building burned in 1513 and was replaced by a larger Renaissance structure in 1562. After a fire in 1669 and repairs until 1688, the old building was demolished in 1909 and the current town hall opened on 9 September 1911.
The facade carries three statues: Emperor Ferdinand I, under whom Šumperk was bought out of serfdom, Rudolf I, guardian of the town, and the knight Roland, a symbol of trade. The stained-glass windows on the staircase show the town coat of arms in wrong colours.
The town hall stands in the middle of náměstí Míru, so it is reached on foot from any side of the square. The municipal office occupies the building; the entrance is from the square. The building is not listed as a cultural monument, so visits focus on the exterior and the office's public hours.
The design by Ludwig Schöne and Georg Berger placed only fifth in the 1909 architectural competition, yet the town councillors chose it for construction. The town coat of arms in the staircase window stained glass has incorrect colours. The front facade, especially the gable with its semicircular window, is said to resemble the town hall in Ptuj, Slovenia.
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