New Town Hall, Town Hall in Leipzig, Germany

The New Town Hall is a historicist complex of light-grey Main-Franconian shelly limestone, built on an irregular pentagon covering over 10,000 m². Its 114.7-metre tower rises from the preserved base of the old Pleißenburg tower, topped by a dark cupola. The southwest facade carries five statues representing Crafts, Justice, Book Art, Science and Music.

Construction began in 1899 and finished in 1905, during a period when Leipzig was expanding as a trade and industrial center. The structure symbolized the city's wealth and modernization efforts at that time.

The Ratskeller restaurant in the cellar vaults grew out of the building's former historic wine cellar, and a public canteen also serves staff and visitors. The clock, lit blue at night, carries the Latin motto MORS CERTA, HORA INCERTA, which Leipzigers joke means "the clock is sure to be wrong". The Israeli Nobel laureate Yosef Agnon describes the building in his novel In Mr. Lublin's Store.

The building sits directly on Martin-Luther-Ring and is easily reached on foot from the city center. Guided tours of the interior and tower are available on weekdays, so arriving in the morning offers a less crowded experience.

The visible tower is not entirely new: it rises from the complete tower of the old Pleißenburg, which serves as its base. From the fourth floor, 250 steps lead to the upper gallery. The clock, lit blue at night, carries the Latin motto MORS CERTA, HORA INCERTA.