Neues Rathaus (New City Hall), Leipzig
In the 1870s, Leipzig was outgrowing its Town Hall. It was fast becoming a big city. Several expansion plans for a new Town Hall had been discarded when the city acquired the gargantuan Pleissenburg Castle from the Kingdom of Saxony. A competition was held for architectural designs with a specification that the tower of Pleissenburg Castle is retained. Architect Hugo Licht and sculptor Georg Wrba worked on the design and construction.
The New City Hall is located on the southwest edge of the inner city ring road, not far from the Palace of Justice (Reichsgericht). The central tower of the new City Hall is 377 feet high. It is the tallest city hall tower in Germany and one of Leipzig's most important landmarks.
The cornerstone was laid in October 1899. The Hall opened officially in October 1905. An annex to the new City Hall designed by Hugo Licht opened in 1912. It sits across the Lotter Street (Lotterstrasse), named after Mayor Hieronymus Lotter. The two buildings are connected by a two-story bridge called the "civil service path."
The entire complex of buildings was made using Franconian shell limestone. On the southwest facade stands the statues Crafts, Justice, Book Art, Science, and Music. The town hall clock bears the inscription in Latin, "Death is certain, the hour is uncertain."
In the basement is located the Ratskeller Leipzig, a restaurant, and a public canteen. The paternoster lifts, non-stop elevators are used throughout. Guided tours of the tower are available.
The New City Hall is located on the southwest edge of the inner city ring road, not far from the Palace of Justice (Reichsgericht). The central tower of the new City Hall is 377 feet high. It is the tallest city hall tower in Germany and one of Leipzig's most important landmarks.
The cornerstone was laid in October 1899. The Hall opened officially in October 1905. An annex to the new City Hall designed by Hugo Licht opened in 1912. It sits across the Lotter Street (Lotterstrasse), named after Mayor Hieronymus Lotter. The two buildings are connected by a two-story bridge called the "civil service path."
The entire complex of buildings was made using Franconian shell limestone. On the southwest facade stands the statues Crafts, Justice, Book Art, Science, and Music. The town hall clock bears the inscription in Latin, "Death is certain, the hour is uncertain."
In the basement is located the Ratskeller Leipzig, a restaurant, and a public canteen. The paternoster lifts, non-stop elevators are used throughout. Guided tours of the tower are available.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Leipzig. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) on Map
Sight Name: Neues Rathaus (New City Hall)
Sight Location: Leipzig, Germany (See walking tours in Leipzig)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Leipzig, Germany (See walking tours in Leipzig)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Leipzig, Germany
Create Your Own Walk in Leipzig
Creating your own self-guided walk in Leipzig is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Leipzig Introduction Walking Tour
The name "Leipzig" may be derived from the Slavic word "Lipsk", meaning "linden trees place." The Nazi government renamed the city "Reichsmessestadt Leipzig" ("Reich Fair Trade City Leipzig"). In 1989, with the fall of communism, the city was "Hero City" - in recognition of the role that the Monday demonstrations there played in the fall... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
A Walk on the Leipzig Music Trail
The spatial density of historic locations associated with music in Leipzig is truly mind-boggling. But then again, this is hardly surprising, given the eclectic score of musicians who had left their mark on the city in various years.
Indeed, it was in Leipzig that Johann Sebastian Bach served as an organist and choirmaster at Thomaskirche as well as a cantor at Nikolaikirche; composer Robert... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
Indeed, it was in Leipzig that Johann Sebastian Bach served as an organist and choirmaster at Thomaskirche as well as a cantor at Nikolaikirche; composer Robert... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
Leipzig Architectural Jewels
Anyone who has ever wanted to delve into Leipzig's history could hardly imagine doing so without exploring the local array of architectural jewels. Indeed, Leipzig boasts one of Germany's most beautiful collections of Renaissance buildings.
Our first point of interest lies in downtown Leipzig at the intersection of Katherine and Bruhl Streets. Here, the stunning Baroque-style Romanus... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 Km or 0.6 Miles
Our first point of interest lies in downtown Leipzig at the intersection of Katherine and Bruhl Streets. Here, the stunning Baroque-style Romanus... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 Km or 0.6 Miles