Poznań Town Hall

Town Hall
Main façade of the building with arcade loggia
General information
Architectural style	Late renaissance
Town or city	Poznań
Country	Poland
Construction started	1550
Completed	1560
Design and construction
Architect	Giovanni Battista di Quadro Major reconstruction

Poznań Town Hall or Ratusz is a historic building in the city of Poznań in western Poland, located at the Poznań Old Town in the centre of Old Market Square (Stary Rynek). It used to serve as the Seat of local government until 1939, and now houses a museum. The town hall was originally built in the late 13th century following the founding of the medieval city in 1253; it was rebuilt in roughly its present-day form, in mannerist style, with an ornate loggia, by Giovanni Battista di Quadro in 1550–1560. The display of mechanical fighting goats, played out daily at noon above the clock on the front wall of the building, is one of the city's main tourist attractions.

The town hall was originally constructed as the administrative building of the city founded on the left bank of the Warta in 1253 (see History of Poznań). It was completed around 1300, during the reign of Wacław II Czeski, and was first documented in Latin in 1310 as Domus Consulum. It was a one-storey Gothic building built upon a raised quadrangle. The cellars remain from this period of construction. The building was extended in the 15th century, and at the turn of the century a tower was built at the north-western corner. The interior was remodeled between 1504 and 1508.

In 1536 the city suffered a major fire, which did serious damage to the town hall. Repair work was carried out in 1540–1542, particularly to the tower, but it remained unsafe. In 1550 the city' council commissioned Giovanni Battista di Quadro to carry out a major rebuilding. The work lasted until 1560. Di Quadro added an upper storey, extended the building towards the west, and added attic walls and a three-storey loggia. A new clock (installed 1551) was made with three full faces and one half-face, and with goats added as a "comic element" (see next section).