Altes Rathaus, Historic town hall in Mannheim, Germany.

The Altes Rathaus is a baroque building with a distinctive double structure and a bell tower that stands between the town hall and St. Sebastian Church. The two wings frame the marketplace and create a symmetrical composition along the southern edge.

The building was reconstructed after a devastating fire destroyed the original town hall in 1689. Construction began in 1700 and represented Mannheim's effort to rebuild and restore its civic center.

The stucco work inside was made by Giovanni Battista Clerici, born in 1673, who signed the interior decoration in 1717. Sculptor Michael Bitterich, active 1679 to 1720, carved the Gigantenportal in 1711 and the coat of arms above the balcony two years later. The names on the building record craftsmen brought to Mannheim from outside the region.

The Altes Rathaus stands at the southern edge of the Marktplatz in Quadrat G 1, sharing the block with St. Sebastian Church and the bell tower between them. The Breite Straße extension and its portal figures face the parallel street to the north. The building is a former administrative seat, so visitors view the façades and portals from the square rather than touring offices.

The building features ornamental portals and sculptural details created by different artisans during the early 1700s. These individual artistic works combine to showcase the high level of craftsmanship invested in the structure.