Rathaus Steyr

The Steyr town hall stands on the main square, a grand rococo building completed between 1765 and 1778. Johann Gotthard Hayberger designed it, and Wolfgang Hueber led the construction. The onion dome tower rises above the façade, drawing the eye upward. Six carved figures flank the tower: Justice, Criminal Law, All-Knowing Wisdom, Self-Knowledge, Church Patronage and Roman Law. A clock and giant pilasters mark the front, while wrought-iron railings guard the balcony over the main door. The building replaced an old, crumbling predecessor. Hayberger’s plans dated from 1757 but were only acted on in 1765. Johann Anton Mayrhofer managed the finances, and Hueber supervised the work. The front section was finished in 1772, the rear wings around the courtyard in 1778. After the Second World War, the town hall was altered several times, including a 1956 storey added to the front. The baroque hall once holding the city archives became a festival hall in 1979, and the clock was renewed that same year. Inside, the council chamber on the Enns side has rich stucco ceilings and marble door frames. The city archive sits in the first floor of the right wing. The main door is topped by the town coat of arms—a panther breathing flames. The façade, repainted grey in 2000 after decades of orange-pink, needs a full renovation every few decades. The tower’s dome and the allegorical figures remain the building’s most striking features.