Winterthur Town Hall

Town Hall / City Parliament Winterthur
Town Hall, Marktgasse 20
The council chamber, later the parliament chamber, has been in the same place for centuries. The venerable building was rebuilt in 1437 and has been adapted and rebuilt several times since then. The building received its current rooms and uses after extensive renovations between 1968 and 1970.
The first mention of Winterthur's town hall dates back to 1423. The old building was probably built in the 13th or early 14th century. From 1435 onwards, a new building was planned, which was then completed in 1437. It was already in its current location and consisted of a front and a rear building, separated by a spacious courtyard. The front building on Marktgasse rose above the merchant's or granary, an open hall in which the grain market was held. The large council chamber was on the first floor, and the small council chamber and the judge's chamber were one floor up. In 1624 the small council chamber was renovated, and in 1628 the large one. In the rear building, attached to the city wall, there were several different rooms, such as the apartment of the council caretaker, the chamber of the small council and the city court, and since 1662 the city library. In 1704 the building was enlarged by purchasing the rear building "Zur Geduld". The new rooms were created primarily for cultural purposes. The city library received new collection rooms on the second floor and a music room for the music college (founded in 1629) was set up on the first floor. After constant renovations in the 17th century, the town hall became increasingly dilapidated in the 18th century.
Source: Winterthur Libraries, Winterthur Collection, Obere Kirchgasse 6, Winterthur
winterthur-glossar.ch/rathaus

from 1782 - Town Hall / City Parliament Winterthur
Renovation from 1782 to 1785 (architect Johann Ulrich Büchel). The rear building "Geduld" was sold again (1 May 1782). The new town hall on Marktgasse had a classicist facade. The three axes and the generous floor heights gave the building a monumental character. A balcony with a balustrade and a gable decorated with the city's coat of arms emphasized the central axis. Mighty oak gates closed off the Kornmarkt from the alley. With the return of the music hall and the city library rooms from the "Geduld", the proud town hall from the last years of the Swiss Confederation was a multi-purpose building for trade, culture, politics and social life. With political developments, the functions of the rooms also changed. In 1831, the two councils, the 13-member Small Council and the 40-member Great Council, were replaced by a City Council with 11 members. This was supported by a 7-member accounting commission. Eleven years later, the city library moved into the new boys' school building (today the Oskar Reinhart Museum at the City Garden), in 1861 the grain market moved into the new grain hall at the train station, and since 1863 concerts have been held in the newly opened casino. Finally, in 1870, the city council and administration moved into the city hall, which meant that another renovation was necessary. The new city architect Joseph Bösch, a student of Semper, planned the renovation. It was occupied in May 1874.
The main idea was a public passageway to the newly laid out Museumstrasse (today Stadthausstrasse). Eighteen shops moved in, popularly known as the bazaar. The jury court had its chamber on the first floor of the front building, the district court above it, and the governor's office, district council and court office moved into the rear building. In 1895, a 45-member Grand Council was created and the parliament moved into the town hall. From 1922 (city unification), the Grand Municipal Council, which now had 60 members, held its meetings in the town hall. In 1932, the district court and governor's office moved to Lindstrasse in the former headquarters of Unfall (Winterthur Insurance). The space was used by the municipal offices of the Justice of the Peace and Career Advice Center. From 1945, renovation plans were again considered.
Source: Winterthur Libraries, Winterthur Collection, Obere Kirchgasse 6, Winterthur
winterthur-glossar.ch/rathaus

Sculpture in the City Garden