Ратуша City Hall

Rating 8110

For some reason, there is not a word about the town hall itself in the reviews about the Town Hall Square. I will add some information.
In the 14th century, Town Hall Square was the central place of Riga. All important events for the city were held here - from executions to holidays. And, as in any European city, a town hall was built here, in which the Riga City Council sat, and once a year, decrees and laws were read to the citizens from its balcony. At that time, however, the square was not the Town Hall, but simply a nameless commercial square.
The first administration building died in a fire, probably from the Order troops. What the second town hall looked like, we can only judge from old pictures. They depict a Gothic building under a high roof. This building was also unable to withstand the war - it was bombed by Russian troops at the beginning of the 18th century.
A few decades later, the town hall was restored, decorating it in the style of classicism with baroque elements.
In the second half of the 19th century, according to the project of the famous architect Johann Felsko, the silhouette of the building underwent further changes - the third floor was added, and in general, the outlines were slightly simplified, giving the town hall a certain sophistication.
Before the Second World War, the largest city library was based in the Riga Town Hall. The start of hostilities caused catastrophic destruction: only ruins remained of the town hall, like many other monumental buildings. The new project, implemented for the 800th anniversary of Riga, made it possible to restore the magnificent building, which opened in 2003. Today, the Riga Duma sits here.