Rathausmann, Monument on the central tower of Vienna City Hall, Vienna, Austria

The Rathausmann is a metal armored knight standing at the very top of Vienna City Hall's central tower on the Ringstrasse. The figure crowns the tallest spire of the Neo-Gothic building and can be seen from wide stretches of the surrounding streets.

The knight was commissioned as a gift from locksmith Ludwig Wilhelm to the city and modelled by sculptor Franz Gastell after the armour of Emperor Maximilian I. Art locksmith Alexander Nehr made it in 1882 in four months from melted Russian copper coins, 3.4 m tall in 4 mm copper sheet. On 21 October 1882 it was hoisted onto the tower with winches and a locomobile.

The figure appears on postcards, souvenirs, and city guides, making it one of the most photographed rooftop silhouettes in Vienna. From the Ringstrasse below, the knight's outline is immediately recognizable to locals and visitors alike.

The figure itself is not accessible to visitors, but it can be seen clearly from the Ringstrasse and from Rathauspark across the street. Clear days offer the best view, as the silhouette stands out sharply against an open sky.

The figure is not cast solid but is made from sheets of copper stretched over an internal metal frame, a technique chosen to reduce weight at the top of the tower. This approach was unusual for the time and allowed the statue to be fixed securely at a height where solid metal would have been too heavy.