Gdańsk Town Hall

Gdańsk Town Hall
Ratusz Głównego Miasta w Gdańsku
Main Town Hall in Gdańsk
General information
Type	Town hall
Architectural style	Renaissance-Baroque
Location	Gdańsk, Poland
Construction started	1346
Completed	15th century
Height	83.45 metres
Historical Museum of the City of Gdańsk

Gdańsk Main Town Hall is a historic Ratusz located in the Gdańsk Main City borough of Śródmieście. It is one of the finest examples of the Gothic-Renaissance historic buildings in the city, built at the intersection of the Long Lane and Long Market, in the most popular part of Gdańsk. The Main Town Hall in Gdańsk houses the History Museum of the City of Gdańsk.

The Main Town Hall in Gdańsk is located at Long Lane, part of the Royal Route. The building is located in the building complex, surrounded by Long Lane, Kramarska Street, Piwna Street, and Kaletnicza Street, located at the corner of the first two. The building is the second highest building in the Main City, after St. Mary's Church, the building is in the most notable part of the Śródmieście in Gdańsk. Access to the building by car is difficult, as the Long Lane surrounding the building is pedestrianised all year around. The public transport does not reach the building. The closest tram stop is located at Podwale Przedmiejskie.

The oldest fragments of the town hall come from 1327 to 1336 - the building was then much smaller in size, which led to its expansion in the subsequent years. In the fourteenth-century the Main City of Gdańsk was reconstructed, and in 1346 replaced the then enforced Lübeck law with the Kulm law. The reform had separated the roles of the city council and ława miejska (which was responsible for the judiciary). The separation of the two bodies led to the need for two separate halls for the two institutions. In 1357, in the location of the current town hall, a temporary town hall was located.