Town hall in Głogów

About

The origins of the Głogów Town Hall date back to the end of the 13th century, to the times of the town's incorporation by Conrad I of Głogów, when a watchtower was built. Over time the building was extended and in 1349 a two-winged, brick town hall was built. The building was damaged by fires in 1420 and 1433, however, the biggest fire took place in 1574, after which the town hall was rebuilt in a Renaissance style, while the tower was topped with a cupola.

The appearance of the building from that period was immortalized in the 18th century in a drawing by Friedrich Bernhard Werner, which was published in Topographia Seu Compendium Silesiae. The town hall lost its Renaissance form during a thorough reconstruction in 1823–1835, designed by architect A. Soller.

Two contrasting wings were created at that time: the western wing with Prussian Classicist features and the eastern wing, built in the Florentine style, fashionable at that time. In the 19th century the clock on the town hall tower had its hands reversed - the large one indicated hours, the small one minutes. It was the reason for frequent arguments and misunderstandings between visitors and locals.

The townspeople of Głogów felt...