Old Town Hall, Munich

The Old Town Hall stands at the eastern edge of Marienplatz in Munich’s historic centre. Built in stages since 1310, it once housed the city’s government before moving to the New Town Hall in 1874. The Grand Hall dates from 1392–1394, and its façade was remodelled in late-Gothic style by Jörg von Halsbach between 1470 and 1480. The Talburg Gate, part of the first city wall, still forms the building’s spire. After damage in the Second World War, the spire was rebuilt in the 1970s, and statues of Ludwig the Bavarian and Henry the Lion remain on the west and east fronts. The Old Town Hall is worth visiting for its layered history and surviving artworks. Erasmus Grasser’s Morris dancers once decorated the Grand Hall, and the neo-Gothic restoration of the 1860s added pointed gables and statues. The building witnessed Joseph Goebbels’ speech on 9 November 1938, a key moment before the Kristallnacht pogrom. Despite later road tunnels, parts of the original structure survive, including the Grand Hall and the spire. The preserved façades and figures offer a direct view of Munich’s architectural and political past. Inside, the Grand Hall remains the most notable space, its medieval timber roof still visible above later alterations. The east façade shows Henry the Lion and the west façade Ludwig the Bavarian, both from the 19th-century restoration. The pedestrian passage through the building provides a close-up view of the pointed gables and statues. From Marienplatz the spire rises above the square, marking the town hall’s long presence. The surroundings include the daily market stalls and the New Town Hall’s tower across the square.