Old Town Hall, Historic town hall in Mitte, Germany
The Old Town Hall is a brick structure featuring red and yellow patterned bands across its facade, with tall arched windows and Gothic architectural details throughout. The building integrates commercial trading spaces on the ground floor with formal administrative rooms on the upper levels.
The building was constructed around 1270 as Berlin's medieval administrative center at the intersection of Königstrasse and Spandauer Strasse. When construction of the new Red City Hall began behind it in 1860, the original structure gradually ceased its governmental functions.
The ground floor housed a cloth market where merchants traded fabrics and negotiated deals. The upper levels served as a meeting place for craft guilds and merchant associations who gathered to conduct business and make decisions.
The site is easily accessible and centrally located in Mitte, surrounded by other historic buildings and modern structures. Visitors can view the remains and explore the surroundings, which reflect medieval Berlin's layout and character.
The building's remains, including foundations, cellars, and sections of the cloth hall, were intentionally preserved underground. Citizen and scholarly protests prevented demolition and ensured that these archaeological layers survived beneath the modern city.
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