You are standing right in the heart of Berlin—and glowing brightly before you, visible from afar, is the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall). It owes its distinctive color to the approximately 500,000 red bricks used in its construction, while its architectural style represents a blend of Northern Italian Renaissance and Early Gothic elements. This site was once home to Berlin’s medieval city hall, until that structure was demolished in 1860.
Even before the new building was fully completed on April 17, 1871, the City Council was already convening here—a testament to the immense importance of this location. At the time, the City Hall’s tower actually rose higher than the dome of the Berlin Palace. This was no mere coincidence, but rather an expression of pure civic pride; Berlin’s bourgeoisie wanted to make a clear statement: “We belong here, too!”
Over the decades, German history has moved in and out of these halls. In 1933, the Nazis seized power—taking control of the City Hall as well. By 1945, following a series of bombing raids, the building lay in ruins. In 1956, it was reconstructed almost exactly to its original specifications—and served thereafter as the seat of the East Berlin Magistracy. It was not until October 1, 1991—following German reunification—that it officially became the administrative seat of the Governing Mayor and the Berlin Senate.
Best of all: as an ordinary visitor, you are free to simply walk right in. Perhaps you’ll take a peek at the imposing grand staircase, or visit the Hall of Arms, the Great Festival Hall, and the Columned Hall. And if you happen to be hungry—the Ratskeller (City Hall Tavern) is still there, too.
A little tip: try visiting in the evening, when the sun hangs low in the sky. At that hour, the bricks seem to glow almost like a fireplace—and Berlin reveals its true red heart to you. Image 1: Own work
Image 2: By Bundesarchiv, Image 183-20145-0001 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5348891
Image 3: By Bundesarchiv, Image 183-L02657 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5365504
Image 4: By A.Savin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25192050
Red City Hall
Aus dem Audiowalk Berlin Like You’ve Never Heard It Before – True Stories & Secrets
254:05 min Audio
8
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Andere Stationen in dieser Audiotour:
A Brief Excursion into Berlin's History (7:59 min) • St. Nicholas' Church / St. Nicholas' Quarter (2:49 min) • Newspaper District (4:28 min) • Checkpoint Charlie (1:55 min) • Former Gestapo Headquarters (2:57 min) • Former Tempelhof Airport (3:46 min) • 7 Wannsee Conference (4:45 min) • Walther Rathenau Memorial (2:34 min) • Olympic Stadium / 1936 Olympic Games (5:36 min) • Commune 1 (2:27 min) • Benno Ohnesorg / Student Movement (2:16 min) • Rolf Eden (1:54 min) • Café Kranzler (2:08 min) • Kurfürstendamm (3:03 min) • Zoo Palace (3:47 min) • Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (2:22 min) • Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg (3:28 min) • Schöneberg Town Hall (2:33 min) • Former Sportpalast / Sportpalast Speech (5:12 min) • Bendlerblock/Stauffenberg assassination attempt (4:47 min) • Kroll Opera House / Enabling Act (3:09 min) • Reichstag Building (4:14 min) • Reichstag Fire (4:28 min) • Brandenburg Gate (2:52 min) • People's Court (3:08 min) • Potsdamer Place (2:58 min) • Former "Führerbunker" (5:06 min) • "Tresor" (Safe) (1:43 min) • Popular Uprising in the GDR (2:11 min) • Reich Chancellery / Hitler's Seizure of Power (5:11 min) • "Die weiße Maus" (The White Mouse) (2:57 min) • Friedrichstraße Station / "Tränenpalast" (Palace of Tears) (3:46 min) • Humboldt University (1:56 min) • Berlin Palace (5:04 min) • Alexanderplatz (2:30 min) • Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind / Anne Frank Center (2:05 min) • Hackesche Höfe (5:21 min) • Rosenthaler Platz (2:58 min) • St. Sophia's Church (3:03 min) • Sophie-Gips Courtyards (2:08 min) • Koppenplatz (3:16 min) • Clärchen's Dance Hall (3:54 min) • New Synagogue (2:19 min) • Berliner Ensemble (3:55 min) • Friedrichstadt-Palast (4:02 min) • Dorotheenstadt Cemetery (2:25 min) • Bloody May (2:18 min) • Humboldthain Flak Tower (5:17 min) • Chris Gueffroy and the Victims of the Wall (1:28 min) • Tunnel 57 / Egon Schultz (2:40 min) • AMIGA (1:37 min) • Bernauer Street (4:07 min) • Former Bornholmer Straße Border Crossing (3:26 min) • Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sports Park (3:43 min) • Mauerpark (4:07 min) • Arkonaplatz (3:03 min) • Zion Church (3:44 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Fire Station (3:18 min) • Hirschhof (2:41 min) • Freya Klier (2:28 min) • Prater (2:28 min) • Oderberger Straße Municipal Baths (3:36 min) • Oderberger Street 2 (1:58 min) • Currywurst (2:16 min) • Konnopke's Snack Bar (2:43 min) • Gethsemane Church (2:09 min) • Museum in the Kulturbrauerei (1:06 min) • Kulturbrauerei (3:24 min) • Frannz-Club (2:31 min) • Husemann Street (1:58 min) • Jews' Passage (3:32 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Water Tower (2:37 min) • Rosa Luxemburg Square (4:34 min) • Mont Klamott (1:43 min) • Samaritan Church (2:23 min) • Former Stasi Headquarters / Stasi Museum (2:48 min) • Berlin-Karlshorst Museum / Unconditional Surrender (2:54 min) • East Side Gallery (2:59 min) • House Squatting in the 1980s (2:34 min)
