A Tour of the Historic Town Hall...

A tour of the historic town hall ...

The City of Stade is closely connected with its history. Apart from the beautiful old part of the town, this is also evident in the historic town hall which is still the residence of the town administration. The conference rooms and other historic rooms are worth seeing. Every day, they are a place of interest for tourists and other visitors. Furthermore, the conference rooms in the new part of the town hall also mirror the ties of friendship between Stade and its twin towns.

The following tour is meant to give you an appetite for more ...

The town hall in general

In 1279, the first town hall was built by the Counts of Stade. It was located in the same place as the historic town hall of today. In 1659, it was destroyed in a fire and only the Gothic cellar and its vaults were preserved.

From 1667 to 1679, during Swedish rule, the second town hall (the historic town hall of today) was erected directly upon the old cellar.

In the 1980s, the historic town hall did no longer meet the requirements of modern administration. Between 1985 and 1988, the new town hall was annexed to the historic town hall which was renovated at the same time. True to the motto: “Creating the new, preserving the old.”

In the cellar of the old town hall – which was formerly the ground floor – there was a covered market, because it was one of the most important tasks of the council to monitor the trade. In the past, the cellar vaults of the town hall were used for council assemblies, festivities and also court trials. Today, events take place there and it is often rented for celebrations.

Above the portal on the west side of the town hall it is written:

"JUSTITIA ET PIETAS PAX ET CONCORDIA VERNENT. ANNO 1667
(JUSTICE AND PIETY, PEACE AND CONCORD SHALL FLOURISH. IN THE YEAR OF 1667)"

photo: Graffelmann

Hansestube / Hanse room

The Hanse room is the former council’s chamber. It is also designated as “heart” of the town hall. Important decisions have been made here, and until 1955 it was the Mayor’s office. Later on and to the present day, it has been used again as a conference room. Above the door which leads into the lobby it is written in gold letters:

"CONSILIO ET DELI/BERATIONE OMNIA/FACIENDA SUNT!
(EVERYTHING CAN BE ACHIEVED BY CONSULTATION AND DELIBERATION!)"

Above the date 1668 in the middle of the long wall, a second inscription that is framed by a laurel wreath can be found. It says:

"TACITURNITAS/EST ANIMA/CONSILIORUM/1668
(DISCRETION IS THE SOUL OF CONSULTATION. 1668.) "

On the ceiling, there is a relief showing a figure of Prudence who is holding a mirror and a snake in her hands. These insignia emphasize the significance of the room. A window on the northern side also depicts the Stade coat of arms.

(photo: Graffelmann)

Trauzimmer / Marriage room

The marriage room used to be the court room in the past. Above the door, there is a stucco relief set in gold and silver. Two griffins are holding the Stade coat of arms, which is set in a scrolled frame. The framed coat of arms is crowned by an angelic head. Above the relief it is written in gold letters:

"DEUS RES PENITUS DESPERATAS DONARE ET/CONSUMMARE VIRTUTIS SUAE MAGNITUDINE POTEST//.1668
(GOD MAY CREATE DESPERATE SITUATIONS BUT THANKS TO HIS GREATNESS MAY SAVE US FROM THEM ACCORDINGLY. 1668)."

The marriage room is furthermore characterised by its high wood panelling, Flemish chandeliers as well as oak furniture.

(photo: Graffelmann)

Senatorenstube / Senators' room

Today, the senators’ chamber is a solemnly furnished conference and reception room. It has undergone a lot of change over the years. The previously small room has presumably been used as the master builders’ office. This is where builder-owners used to deliberate or settle conflicts arising between homeowners and their neighbours. In 1848, a “Bürgergehorsam” was established here, a room, where minor offenders, such as drunkards or ruffians, were kept in custody in order to appear before a Justice figure with scales and sword and be reminded of the law. Later on, the room was used as an archive. Then two rooms were created which served as archives and registry. In 1926, both rooms were joined again and a gallery was established. Only a few years ago, the gallery as well as a bricked-in safe room were removed in order to make room for a conference room.

(photo: Graffelmann)

Königsmarcksaal / Königsmarck hall

Königsmarck hall is the biggest room in the town hall and it has the same dimensions as that of the first town hall. It was named after the Swedish Field-Marshal Count Hans Christoph von Königsmarck (1600-1663). The vaulted ceiling built by Andreas Henne is quite unusual and a typical feature of this hall. The room is equipped in a very simple style now, contrary to the 17^th century. As stated in an inventory from 1687, the hall was richly decorated at that time. There was an oval table that was encircled by twelve chairs. In the dark season of the year, six candlesticks were put onto the table. Furthermore, two brass candelabra flanked either side of the door and provided the lighting at all festivities. The large double portal at the east side was also part of the original equipment. In 1908, the town council of Stade envisaged a new design of the hall. A competition was organized, in which ornamentists from Stade, Bremen, Hanover und Hamburg submitted their ideas. Theodor Herrman from Hamburg proposed wood panelling with inlaid paintings all around. Allegoric pictures, coats of arms and floral arabesques should be painted on the panelling. This draft was one of the council’s favourites. However, mainly due to a lack of money, the idea of a new design was finally given up and according to a suggestion made by the advisor Alfred Lichtward, who was the director of the Hamburger Kunsthalle (art gallery) at that time, it was simply painted.
The stained-glass windows were made by Christel Kuball from Hamburg in 1934. On the northern long side, four guild seals were fitted into the windows. These guild seals represent from the left: the bricklayers and stonemasons (1721), the carpenters (1663), the builders (1663) and the goldsmiths (1527). On the opposite side, the last minted Reichstaler from 1686 can be seen in the two most outward windows. The picture in the big window on the short side depicts the conflict between Stade and Hamburg as well as the corn trade and the free Elbe navigation. The departure of Stade’s merchant fleet which is threatened by warships from Hamburg can be seen against the background of the old town of Stade. Above the glass picture, the German Eagle and the Stade coat of arms have been inserted. Beneath them is the big town seal next to the medal of King Frederick IV of Denmark, which was minted on the occasion of the capture of Stade in 1712. This room has been used for a variety of occasions, such as the annual change of council, the reception of foreign ambassadors and distinguished guests.

(photo: Graffelmann)
	(photo: Graffelmann)

The City Manager's room

In the City Manager’s office, the preserved emblems are worthy of note. On the ceiling, three emblems in the form of stucco relief can be seen and are probably the remains of an entire feature in the past. In Renaissance age and in the Baroque period, such emblems were part of the basic features of each town hall. The three emblems are meant to warn the city fathers to treat the citizens in harmony and always to their very best. The first emblem shows a pelican at the nest with its young. The parent bird hurts its chest with its beak in order to feed the young with its own blood. This picture stands for loving care and a willingness to make sacrifices. The text beneath it reads:

"PRO LEGE ET GREGE (FOR THE LAW AND THE PEOPLE)."

(photo: Graffelmann)

In the second emblem, two crows are supporting a lily sceptre which stands perpendicularly on a decorated base. A third crow is arriving from the left and also touches the sceptre. The message of this emblem is:
"CONCORDES VIVITE (LIVE IN CONCORD)."

In the third picture, a hand is holding a large sheaf of millet through a thick whirl of clouds. The header reads:
"SERVARI ET SERVARE MEUM EST (IT IS MY PART TO SERVE MYSELF AND OTHERS)."

(photo: Graffelmann)

Karlshamn room

The room is situated in the new town hall built in the 1980s and is neither a historic place nor has it got a long tradition. The Swedish town Karlshamn has been Stade’s twin town since 1984. It is located in the heart of the Blekinge province and offers a lot of culture and entertainment. Because of its wonderful nature, Blekinge province is also called “GARDEN OF SWEDEN.” Karlshamn ist also well-known as a commercial centre of Blekinge. Once a year, an athletes’ exchange of German and Swedish pupils takes place in order to establish and keep up contacts. Since 1970, a “Swedish week” has been organized in Stade in irregular intervals, thus offering both cultures an opportunity to meet and exchange views.

(photo: Graffelmann)
	(photo: Graffelmann)

Givat Shmuel room

Just like the Karlshamn room, the Givat Shmuel room is also located in the new town hall. Givat Shmuel is situated not far from Tel-Aviv in Israel and has a surface of 360 ha. It has approximately 14,000 inhabitants, the population being young in comparison with the entire state. The educational standard in Givat Shmuel is high and about 64% of the pupils successfully complete grammar school and obtain the official school leaving certificate. 30% of the population are university graduates. Among other institutions, Givat Shmuel has a university that is said to be among the best universities in

Israel

and, in certain fields, the whole world. Furthermore, there are 10 synagogues, 1 cultural centre, 24 nursery schools and 2 modern schools. In addition, there are 2 youth clubs, where approximately 1,500 young people do sports, exercise and handicrafts in groups. There is also a music school and a basketball school.

(photo: Graffelmann)
	(photo: Graffelmann)

Druckversion anzeigen