Old town hall Göttingen, Medieval town hall in Göttingen, Germany

The Old Town Hall of Göttingen stands in the city center with a characteristic red and white facade, pointed arches, and ornate stone details. The three-story building impresses with its medieval construction and the elaborate details of its windows and doors.

The oldest roof timbers over the southern part date to around 1270, when the first town hall was built; a 1344 document calls it a "cophus" (merchant house). After Duke Ernst I authorized rebuilding in 1366, the cornerstone was laid on 16 April 1369, and around 1370 the northern section gained a storey and its hipped roof. The council met in the heated Dorntze, while negotiations with the guilds took place in the kitchen. The building remained the seat of the council until 1978.

The building's name reflects its role as the administrative center of a prosperous merchant city. The carved heraldic symbols visible on the walls today give visitors a sense of Göttingen's importance in the medieval period.

The town hall is open to the public and houses a tourist information office that can assist visitors with information about the city and its attractions. Tours of the building can be arranged on site and provide deeper insight into its history and architecture.

The council met in the heated Dorntze, while negotiations between the council and the guilds took place in the adjoining kitchen, recorded as "koken" or "coquina". The room was added west toward St. John's Church around 1370 with a Heußluftheizung, a warm-air heating system.