Rathaus Emden, Town hall in Emden, Germany

The Rathaus Emden stands at the Ratsdelft, built 1574–1576 by Antwerp city architect Laurens van Steenwinkel on the model of Antwerp's town hall. Rebuilt in modern forms after World War II, it keeps part of the ground-floor masonry of the predecessor. Above the front entrance the motto reads "Concordia res parvae crescunt". Since 2005 it houses the Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum Emden.

The first town hall was built between 1574 and 1576 by the Antwerp master builder Laurens van Steenwinkel, modelled on Antwerp's town hall. Allied air raids destroyed it almost completely in 1944; parts of the ground-floor masonry were kept. Reopened on 6 September 1962, exactly 18 years after the destruction, it was rebuilt in modern forms and has housed the East Frisian State Museum since 2005.

The building's front wall carries Emden's motto, "Concordia res parvae crescunt" ("Through concord small things grow"). Inside, the Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum Emden opened in 2005, formed by merging the city collection with that of the Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst und vaterländische Altertümer; its medieval weapons from the city armouries made it known beyond the region.

The town hall stands on the Ratsdelft, the harbour basin in the old town centre; the city administration has moved to a new building at Frickensteinplatz, so the historic building is used by the Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum Emden. The museum entrance is on the front side, where the motto "Concordia res parvae crescunt" is set into the masonry above the door. The building was rebuilt in modern forms after 1944, with parts of the ground-floor masonry of the predecessor incorporated.

On the harbor side of the building, there is a detailed bronze relief showing the city's outline in miniature form. This artwork with the town hall as its central element is easy to miss but rewards closer inspection.