Altes Rathaus Leipzig

About the museum

The Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) dominates the east side of Leipzig's market square and is regarded as a landmark of the civic city. It received its present Renaissance form in 1556/57 under Mayor Hieronymus Lotter; the tower was later altered in the Baroque style. The city council met here, and in 1723 Johann Sebastian Bach was elected Thomaskantor in this building, signed his contract and took his oath of office. Alongside the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche, the town hall is thus one of Leipzig's authentic Bach sites.

Since 1909 the building has housed the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum. The building itself is the most important exhibit: from the dungeon cellar with the remains of old prison cells, through the banquet hall and council chamber on the main floor, to the tower sphere and weather vane, it reflects centuries of Leipzig history.

The permanent exhibition with nearly 2,000 objects is spread over two floors, the attic and the cellar. On the first floor, "Leipzig Original" surrounds the banquet hall and council chamber with more than 1,100 originals from the Middle Ages to the Battle of Nations – telling of the trade, wealth and appreciation of the arts of the trade-fair city as well as of wars, sieges and times of hardship; figures such as Martin Luther, Lucas Cranach, Bach, Goethe, Schiller and Leibniz appear here. On the second floor, "Moderne Zeiten" follows, stretching from the 1848/49 revolution and industrialization through the destruction of the Second World War and the Nazi era to the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 and the present day.

Highlights

• Portrait of Bach by Elias Gottlob Haußmann (1746)
• Wedding ring of Katharina von Bora from 1525
• Historic banquet hall and council chamber
• City model in the banquet hall
• Dress made from 1920s inflation banknotes
• Free admission

Permanent exhibitions

• Leipzig Original. Vom Mittelalter bis zur Völkerschlacht – More than 1,100 originals around the banquet hall and council chamber on the first floor show the heydays and crises of the trade-fair city up to 1813.
• Moderne Zeiten. Von der Industrialisierung bis zur Gegenwart – The exhibition on the second floor leads from the 1848/49 revolution through the world wars and the Nazi era to the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 and the present day.

Founded

1909

Operated by

Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the permanent exhibition is free of charge until 31 December 2027 for the time being.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description

The elevator is operated by staff after ringing the bell; wheelchair-accessible restroom on the 2nd floor. Accessible parking spaces in front of the Ibis hotels (Reichsstraße 17) or in the Parkhaus am Museumswinkel parking garage. Museum guide in easy-to-understand language, tactile and listening stations, audio description of the city model; guided tours for blind and visually impaired people by appointment.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Children can use an explorer booklet and a scavenger hunt through the town hall; admission is free.

Getting there & parking

In the city center, a few minutes' walk from the main train station.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The historic banquet hall and the Grüner Salon can be rented; advice at +49 341 9651400.

Plan your visit