Risen from Ruins

Documentary records mention the Amberg town hall for the first time in 1348. After a devastating fire in 1356, work began on rebuilding the building. Since then it has dominated the east of the Amberg market square, flanked since 2000 by the Amberg Wedding Fountain.

But the architectural history of Amberg’s town hall is a journey full of transformations. First of all, the façade in the west with the magnificent gable was built. In addition, arcades were created on the south front, which, however, were bricked up again in the 18th century together with the balustrade on the western side of the building.

Old and new combined

The Amberg town hall consists of the “Old Town Hall” with the western part and the “New Town Hall” with the northern or eastern part of the building. The dates of construction are only slightly more than 200 years apart. The “New Town Hall” was built in 1572/73 and houses the small council hall and the archive vault.

Much new in the West

Towards the end of the 19th century, the western façade was decisively redesigned. Before that, there was the distinctive two-story alcove. This is the platform that rests on pillars, facing the marketplace. The second floor was completely removed and the fifth column was replaced by a kind of spiral staircase. The architects added two statues to the façade: one representing commerce and the other charity.

The last time the town hall was completely renovated was in 1989.