History of Groningen
History Grote Markt
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The town hall
The site of today’s town hall untill 1775 was that of the medieval town hall and wine-house. This predecessor of the town hall had been built in the 14th century in the form of a 'steenhuis', a fortified mansion, and in 1443 it was given an extension to the north. Around 1450, the municipal wine-house was built on to the east side of the town hall. Both buildings were provided with splendid Gothic façades. In 1625 the town hall was embellished with a fine entrance with steps, and between the town hall and the wine-house was built a gallery on which the town musicians played their tunes.
The wine-house had a tavern accessible to the public. Further it was a place for debate between the burgomasters and for sales under distress.
By the late 18th century the town hall and wine-house had fallen into decay. The complex was pulled down in 1775. Subsequently a competition was held for the design of a new town hall. It was won by Jacob Otten Husly, director of the academy of fine arts in Amsterdam. In 1792, lack of funds caused the works to be halted. On top of this, the great promoter of the project, burgomaster Van Iddekinge, died. His successors introduced all sorts of changes and expenditure cuts, and by the beginning of the 19th century the building could be resumed. It was not until 1810, by which time Husly too had died, that the new town hall was completed. Up till the mid-20th century, this classicistic building not only was the seat of local government but also accommodated its supporting services, the town clerk’s office.
Because of the expanding tasks of the local authorities, the town hall had well before the Second World War become too small to house all of the town clerk’s office. The reconstruction after 1945 offered an opportunity to expand the town hall in its immediate vicinity. Because the council could not agree on a preferred solution (a detached building or one connected to the town hall by a bridge), and because municipal funds were in short supply, it was not until 1957 that agreement was reached. The council eventually opted for a design by J.J. Vegter, connecting the new premises to the town hall by a glass-covered bridge. A monumental stairway was to give access to this bridge from the Herestraat. On the ground floor, shops and a café-restaurant were accommodated. The ‘new town hall’ - as the building soon came to be called - was taken into use in 1962. But it turned out not to be satisfactory.
In 1990 the Council decided to have it demolished and to assign new urban functions to it. The pre-war Waagstraat would be reinstated, incorporating housing, shops and offices. The Italian architect Adolfo Natalini was commissioned to make te design. His plan was ready in 1993, and the following year the ‘new town hall’ was pulled down. The realisation of the Waagstraat project took until 28 September 1998. This is when Groningen finally had a new heart.
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