Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), Munich

Before the New Town Hall took over in 1874, the Old Town Hall was where Munich鈥檚 city government did its business. Unlike many buildings that were torn down to make way for the new structure, this one remained鈥攑reserved as a testament to the city鈥檚 commitment to restoration over replacement.

With its dove-grey fa莽ade, amber-tiled steeple, and delicate Gothic spires, the Hall captures the essence of its 15th-century origins鈥攖hough what stands today isn鈥檛 an exact replica. Over time, additions like a baroque onion dome and later, an overly enthusiastic attempt at 鈥渞egothification,鈥� took the structure further from its medieval roots than what the current version reflects. Ironically, the faithful postwar reconstruction you see today may be closer to the spirit of the original than what existed before the Allied bombing.

The oldest surviving element is the 12th-century tower, once part of the city鈥檚 medieval fortifications. Today, it houses the Toy Museum, where you鈥檒l find a charming collection of vintage toys鈥攆rom antique train sets to miniature zoos鈥攕pread across four narrow floors connected by a spiral staircase. There's also a gift shop with hand-picked items that make for great souvenirs.

The ceremonial hall still retains its Gothic grandeur, with broad wooden barrel vaults and a frieze of 96 coats of arms lining one wall. Meanwhile, on the building鈥檚 side, there's a whimsical surprise: a bronze statue of Shakespeare鈥檚 Juliet, a gift from the city of Verona in the 1970s.

But the building also carries a darker legacy. In 1938, Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels delivered a speech here that triggered the 鈥淣ight of Broken Glass.鈥� That night of terror saw synagogues burned, Jewish businesses destroyed, and thousands arrested. It鈥檚 widely seen as the moment when Nazi anti-Semitic violence escalated into what became the Holocaust.

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Sight Name: Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall)
Sight Location: Munich, Germany (See walking tours in Munich)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Munich, Germany

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles

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