The Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall
The building of the Old Town Hall
was erected at the end of the 16th century. It is considered to be the best example
of Dutch architecture in Gdansk - it seems as if it was transferred directly from Holland
by its creator Anthony van Obberghen. It has a compact brick body, without distinct
architectural divisions, covered by two parallel hipped roofs - a frontal roof ridge is
crowned by a slim turret. The main portal is well worth attention. Under the console there
are two contorted masks of vices and two smiling, chubby masks of virtues.
For many centuries the Old Town Hall was not only the place of the official meetings of local authorities but also was used as a place of balls and banquets. Citizens did their business and scientists had their seminaries/gatherings here. Among them famous astronomer Johannes Hevelius, who was also a brewer. Since 1954 the Old Town Hall
has been the seat of the cultural institution at first called Voivodship Creative Community Centre but after many alterations it finally became the Baltic Sea Culture Centre (BSCC) in 1992.
Extremely interesting are the interiors of the Old Town Hall, although not much was left of the original decor of 400 years ago. After 1900 most valuable architectural details from the interiors of modernised or knocked down Hanzeatic burgher houses were gathered here.
On the first floor there are imposing Great Hall, sumptuously decorated Mayor's Office and representative Entrance Hall. Below, on the ground floor, there are some offices and a bookshop. A restaurant was opened on the upper cellar floor in 1997, while the lower cellar floor has been occupied since 1995 by atmospheric Irish Pub.
 "obrazek") |
| Old Town Hall, photo Cezary Gierszewski |
For many centuries the Old Town Hall was not only the place of the official meetings of local authorities but also was used as a place of balls and banquets. Citizens did their business and scientists had their seminaries/gatherings here. Among them famous astronomer Johannes Hevelius, who was also a brewer. Since 1954 the Old Town Hall
 "obrazek") |
| photo C. Gierszewski |
Extremely interesting are the interiors of the Old Town Hall, although not much was left of the original decor of 400 years ago. After 1900 most valuable architectural details from the interiors of modernised or knocked down Hanzeatic burgher houses were gathered here.
On the first floor there are imposing Great Hall, sumptuously decorated Mayor's Office and representative Entrance Hall. Below, on the ground floor, there are some offices and a bookshop. A restaurant was opened on the upper cellar floor in 1997, while the lower cellar floor has been occupied since 1995 by atmospheric Irish Pub.