Town hall in Frýdlant, Town hall in Frydlant, Czech Republic

The Frýdlant Town Hall is a German Neo-Renaissance building completed in 1896 to a design by Franz Neumann, modelled on the Liberec town hall of 1893. It is built of rough unplastered chimney brick, with cornices, gables and ornaments cut from sandstone. The U-shaped plan encloses a central courtyard entered through a side passage, and a 48-metre viewing tower with two small balconies, a clock and a gallery linking four corner turrets rises at the corner of the square and Míru Street.

The first town hall on the square is documented in 1532; fires in 1634 and 1797 damaged and then destroyed it, and it was rebuilt in 1798 in Silesian style. The present building was finished in 1896 to plans by Franz Neumann, who had designed the Liberec town hall of 1893, on the site of four demolished houses. The local savings bank paid for it, and it later housed the savings bank, a loan society and the police.

The tower carries a glockenspiel that plays every hour, shifting from classical pieces to brass-band tunes, and carols during Advent. Locals say a sprite named Fridolín operates it, though loudspeakers on the viewing gallery actually broadcast the music; visitors may step onto the platform only after the tune ends.

The town hall stands on the northwest side of Masaryk Square, at the corner of Míru Street. A wide lift installed in 2009 and 2010 makes the building barrier-free. The tower's viewing gallery opens only after the hourly chime has finished playing, because loudspeakers sit on the platform.

The tower's carillon plays every hour, shifting from classical pieces to brass-band tunes, and carols at Advent. Locals say a sprite named Fridolín operates it, but the music comes from electronic speakers on the viewing gallery; visitors may step onto the platform only after the tune ends.