Historical facts about the construction of the New Town Hall
On 2 September 1911, Chemnitz's new town hall was inaugurated in the presence of King Friedrich August of Saxony. After Leipzig (1905) and Dresden (1910), the industrial city also acquired a new, prestigious administrative centre.
The path to this goal was not without obstacles. Proposals to build a larger town hall, which had already been discussed at the end of the 1880s, initially had to be postponed for financial reasons, and the town hall on Beckerplatz was built in 1891 as an interim solution. In 1903, however, new plans and discussions began at the municipal building department, with an extension to the town hall on Beckerplatz, the Old St John's Cemetery or the Markt and Neumarkt being discussed as possible locations.
In 1905, Lord Mayor Dr Heinrich Beck finally submitted a memorandum for a new town hall building on Markt and Neumarkt. City planning officer Richard Möbius was commissioned with the planning. The project was not without controversy and Möbius had to amend his designs several times. However, Dr Beck defended it against all critics. City architect Wilhelm Luthardt, who was also in charge of construction from 1907-1911, played a major role in its further development.
The exterior of the building is reminiscent of the "German Renaissance" style, for which gabled superstructures and richly decorated portals are typical, including the late Gothic style. They are combined with the pleasing forms of Art Nouveau, which are particularly visible in the interior. It is true that not only the former Latin school on Jakobikirchplatz and the fire station on Neumarkt, but also the historic "Lauben" on the market square and the east wing of the Old Town Hall had to make way for the new building. However, Richard Möbius succeeded in creating a variety of references to the old Chemnitz. The shops on the market side echo the former arcades with their stalls. The stone ribs of the main gable above are reminiscent of the imposing gable of the Gewandhaus, whose window walls with the curtain arches are also echoed in the New Town Hall. The side corner turrets of the tower are reminiscent of the former four city gates. Stone reliefs with six city watchmen can be found above the passageway to Jakobikirchplatz, and the Jakobikirche choir appears in the keystone as it once stood free-standing. The figure of St James, the patron saint of the town and church, cannot be missing from the side facing St James' Church. The Red Tower is visible on the stair tower on this side. The portal from the old Latin school was used. The interior decoration was only completed in August 1918 with a work by Max Klinger for the town council chamber, the mural "Labour - Prosperity - Beauty".
Photos of the construction of the New Town Hall
