With its varied façades, the Old City Hall, which was built in 1422 as a merchants’ and excise building, is the jewel of Esslingen. The south face is adorned with ”Allemanisch” timber-framing, while the northern face was extensively modernized during the renaissance, and since then has sported a small, two-story clock tower. Inside the clock tower is a glockenspiel, which was donated by the citizens of Esslingen in 1926 on the occasion of the building’s renovation. The glockenspiel has a repertoire of 200 tunes, which can be heard at various times throughout the day. The preserved original clock mechanism from the astronomical clock of 1591 is among the oldest in Germany. The wings of an eagle, the heraldic emblem of the former imperial city, beat in accordance with the striking of the hour.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 1422
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Germany
Historical period: Habsburg Dynasty (Germany)

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Som Montree (8 months ago)
A lovely town. I would definitely go back there again in summer or falls to have a Chance to try the wine there.
Mala Nes (8 months ago)
Super...
Tony Roma (2 years ago)
Beautiful building from the 1400’s very well preserved. In the middle of a very nice village with lots to see and do. Working clock that chimes and has movement on the hours. Worth the visit.
Aleksandar Aco (4 years ago)
Nice place, definitely worth visiting while in Stuttgart! It's a short ride, there is a good connection by train!
Will Perdue (5 years ago)
This pace was nice for setting cool architecture.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg

The Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg is situated in a strategic area on a rocky spur overlooking the Upper Rhine Plain, it was used by successive powers from the Middle Ages until the Thirty Years' War when it was abandoned. From 1900 to 1908 it was rebuilt at the behest of the German kaiser Wilhelm II. Today it is a major tourist site, attracting more than 500,000 visitors a year.

The first records of a castle built by the Hohenstaufens date back to 1147. The fortress changed its name to Koenigsburg (royal castle) around 1157. The castle was handed over to the Tiersteins by the Habsburgs following its destruction in 1462. They rebuilt and enlarged it, installing a defensive system designed to withstand artillery fire.

The fortification work accomplished over the 15th century did not suffice to keep the Swedish artillery at bay during the Thirty Years War, and the defences were overrun.