Hamburg City Hall

Hamburg City Hall

　 Introduction: The City Hall was constructed starting in 1886 and took 11 years to complete. It is a neo-Baroque style building from the latter half of the 19th century, adorned with numerous artworks that hold commemorative and symbolic significance. The entire structure is built from sandstone, with a copper-green roof and an ash-gray exterior, giving it a classic and elegant appearance. The central spire of the municipal building stands 112 meters tall and is one of the most prominent landmarks in Hamburg. Atop the clock tower sits a gilded Imperial Eagle, symbolizing German unity. The City Hall is grand in scale, with four floors and a total of 647 rooms—more than the British Buckingham Palace.

Upon entering the City Hall, you’ll see two rows of sturdy stone pillars in the ground-floor hall, totaling 16. Each pillar features four relief sculptures, including well-known figures such as playwright Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, composer Johannes Brahms, and physicist Heinrich Hertz.

The municipal banquet and reception hall measures 46 meters long, 18 meters wide, and 15 meters high. The portraits hanging inside depict the development history of Hamburg. In the Mayor's Hall, the “Golden Book” of the Hanseatic League is preserved, and bronze plaques list the names of all Hamburg mayors from 1264 to 1912. On the second floor, statues of 20 notable German emperors stand between the windows.

Inside the municipal building, there are also splendidly decorated halls such as the Grand Banquet Hall, Citizens’ Hall, Emperor’s Hall, Tower Hall, Orphans’ Hall, and Phoenix Hall. Each hall is exquisitely decorated and uniquely distinctive, all worth a visit.

Additionally, on the square outside the City Hall stands a statue of Heinrich Heine. Heine lived in Hamburg for several years and published his first poems here. To honor this poet, the people of Hamburg erected a memorial statue in the City Hall Square.

There are large shopping areas on both sides of the City Hall. Transportation: Address: Rathausmarkt. Take subway U3 to Rathaus station, or bus lines 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, or 102 to Rathausmarkt station. Alternatively, it’s a 15-minute walk from the Central Station.

Ticket / Opening Hours: €1.5. Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 10:00–15:00; Saturday and Sunday: 10:00–13:00. English and French guided tours are available from 10:15 to 15:15 Monday to Thursday, and from 10:15 to 13:15 Friday to Sunday, once every hour.

Germany, Hamburg