Hamburg City Hall (German: Hamburger Rathaus) is the seat of local government of Hamburg, Germany. It is the seat of the government of Hamburg and as such, the seat of one of Germany’s 16 state parliaments. The Rathaus is located in the Altstadt quarter in the city center, at the Rathausmarkt square, and near the lake Binnenalster and the central station. Constructed from 1886 to 1897, the city hall still houses its original governmental functions with the office of the First Mayor of Hamburg and the meeting rooms for the Parliament and the Senate (the city’s executive branch).
On the outside the architectural style is Neo-Renaissance, which is abandoned inside for several historical elements. It is one of the few completely preserved buildings of historicism in Hamburg. The roof is made of copper which, over time, has reacted with carbon dioxide and water and turned green, showing the age of the building. Built in a period of wealth and prosperity, in which the Kingdom of Prussia and its military defeated France in the Franco-German War and the German Empire was formed, the look of the new Hamburg Rathaus was intended to express this wealth and also the independence of the State of Hamburg and Hamburg’s republican traditions. The city hall has a total area of 17,000 m² (182,986 sq ft), not including the restaurant Ratsweinkeller, now called Parlament, of 2,900 m² (31,215 sq ft). The tower is 112 metres (367 ft) high with 436 steps. It is a common misconception that Hamburg Rathaus has more rooms than Buckingham Palace (647 vs. 775), on a building area of 5,400 m² (58,125 sq ft). The balcony is surmounted by a mosaic of Hamburg’s patron goddess Hammonia, the city’s coat of arms and an inscription of the city’s motto in Latin:
“Libertatem quam peperere maiores digne studeat servare posteritas.” (in English: The freedom won by our elders, may posterity strive to preserve it in dignity.)
The courtyard is decorated with a Hygieia fountain. Hygieia as the goddess of health and hygiene in Greek mythology and its surrounding figures represents the power and pureness of the water. It was built in remembrance of the cholera epidemic in 1892, the former technical purpose was air cooling in the city hall.
