Altes Rathaus, Historical town hall at Schlossplatz, Saarbrücken, Germany

The Altes Rathaus is the former town hall of Saarbrücken, a Baroque building erected 1748–1750 to plans by Friedrich Joachim Stengel and built by Karl Abraham Dodel. Its main block has six window axes, the two middle ones set in a risalit with a segmental gable bearing the date MDCCL (1750). A balustraded staircase leads to two wooden double doors beneath a balcony with wrought-iron railing; a square clock tower with an onion dome rises from the mansard roof. The south wing has eight axes, and its southernmost ground-floor axis is now a pedestrian passage.

Construction took place from 1748 to 1750 according to plans by Friedrich Joachim Stengel. After 1909, it no longer served as the seat of administration but received new functions while remaining a landmark of baroque urban planning.

The coat of arms of the city is displayed on a decorative panel at the facade. Visitors can see in it a sign of civic identity that remains present at this location today.

The building sits at Schlossplatz in the center and is easily accessible on foot. Today an adult education center uses it, so visitors can admire the architecture from outside and explore the interior during events.

The facade facing Schloßplatz deliberately echoes elements of the former central wing of Saarbrücken Castle at the opposite end of the square, so the two buildings frame the space. The same Stengel plans served from 1770 for the Old Town Hall in Pirmasens, built by Rochus Pfeiffer for Landgrave Ludwig IX of Hesse-Darmstadt.