Düsseldorf City Hall

The first building in Düsseldorf where the city council met was probably located opposite St. Lambert's Church [de] and was the old customs house. The second town hall was known as the house "Zum Schwarzen Horn" (At the Black Horn), located at Ratinger Straße 6, and served as the town hall from 1470 to 1544. In 1545, the city acquired a building on the market square for the aldermen and the council, which was replaced by a new building after 1570.^[2]

The dedicated construction and use history of Düsseldorf City Hall dates back to 1570/73 in its oldest parts. Since then, Düsseldorf City Hall, located in the heart of the Old Town and in close proximity to the Rhine, has continuously served as the seat of the city council and the municipal administration. Until 1806, the oldest parts of the building, the Old City Hall, also served as the assembly place of the Estates of the Duchy of Jülich-Berg.^[1]

This area underwent a complete structural redevelopment after 1700: in 1706, Matteo Alberti built a residence here for the artist Gabriel de Grupello, which is now part of the town hall (Marktplatz 3). In 1739, the old seat of the Bergish chancellors, the Alte Kanzlei (Old Chancellery), was demolished directly to the right of it, and a " Old Theater " (Grupello Theater) was built, which was used until 1881 and then torn down. The New Town Hall, with its very prominent tower, was completed in 1888. Around 1922, the imposing tower was demolished due to structural problems. Damaged in the Second World War, the magnificent historical building was not reconstructed in the post-war period. Finally, in the 1960s, the Wilhelminian building (Marktplatz 2) was completely redesigned, incorporating Grupello's former residence, the Gouvernementshaus (Government House), into the complex. The buildings adjoining the Grupello-Haus on Zollstraße were gutted in the 1970s and integrated into the Düsseldorf City Hall complex. Today, this double wing houses the plenary hall of the City Council (Marktplatz 2) and the offices of the council's parliamentary group, the advisory council members in the district councils, and the data protection officer (Marktplatz 3). Access to the buildings is via the courtyard at Marktplatz 3.^[3]

The third wings added in 1956. And 1984 city hall expansion taken more buildings in nearby Burgplatz 1,2,3,5,6 and adjoin Rathausufer No. 8 to make its forth and fifth wings.^[4]

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  Development of today's town hall complex
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  Plenary Hall. "New Year's Auction 2012" in aid of Düsseldorf art students in front of Joseph Fassbender's Tapestry in Wood
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  Debt-free clock in the town hall window. Introduced in 2007 during the term of Mayor Joachim Erwin. Since Düsseldorf had long since ceased to be debt-free, it was switched off on February 1, 2021, at 9:30 a.m
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  Courtyard, building section Burgplatz 3
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  Entrance portal in the inner courtyard, Marktplatz 3 (part of the Wilhelminian Town Hall)
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  Market Square 6, corner of Marktstraße and Rheinstraße, with a relief of market women by Jupp Rübsam
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  Extension of the town hall on Rathausufer 2008

First Wing: Old City Hall

The iconic red-brick Renaissance building on Marktplatz, completed in 1573. It features the famous octagonal clock tower and the equestrian statue of Jan Wellem in front.

Today, It is primarily used for representative purposes. It houses the Jan-Wellem-Saal, where high-ranking guests are received, and the Council Chamber (Ratssaal), where the city council meets.

Second Wing: New City Hall and former Grupello Haus

The new city hall also known as Wilhelminian Town Hall located to the north of the Old Rathaus, this wing was built in the late 19th century (around 1883) in a grand Neo-Renaissance style to match the original building.

The Grupello-Haus originally a private residence for the sculptor Gabriel Grupello in 1706, this Baroque building was later integrated into the city hall complex.

Today, New City Hall houses the Office of the Lord Mayor (Oberbürgermeister) and senior administrative staff. It is the core of the city's executive leadership.

Grupello-Haus serves as the seat of the City Council's secretariat and provides additional office space for council members and administrative committees.

Third wing: Administration Building

Located in Marktplatz 5 and 6 in Düsseldorf's Old Town was built between 1952 and 1956 by the city's building authority under the direction and according to a design by the architect Julius Schulte-Frohlinde in the Heimatschutz Architecture style.

The building housed the city treasury and the city cash office.^[5][6]

Fourth wing: Building facing the castle square

The former east wing of the Düsseldorf art gallery connects Burgplatz and Marktplatz at an obtuse angle. After several renovations, this fourth wing, located at Burgplatz 3 and 2, now features a facade dating from the 1920s. The baroque buildings at Burgplatz 6 and 5 are also used by the town hall.

These buildings contain various administrative support offices and meeting rooms for the different political factions (Fraktionen) represented in the City Council.

Fifth wing: former school of applied arts

One wing of the town hall complex is the former School of Applied Arts building, which borders the Rhine promenade and overlooks the Rhine. Since 2005, the Düsseldorf Art Academy 's gallery, featuring works by professors and students, has been located here at Burgplatz 1.^[7] Adjoining this, at Rathausufer No. 8, is the town hall's 1984 extension. The entrance is in the inner courtyard of Burgplatz.

This is the most functional "office" part of the complex. It houses the Liegenschaftsamt (Real Estate Office) and parts of the Central Administration. It was built specifically to centralize departments that were previously scattered across the city. The Rathausufer 8 also houses a restaurant on the ground floor.