Among the town halls in the Southern Palatinate, the Ilbesheimer is certainly the most impressive.
Built in 1558, the town hall celebrated its 450th birthday in September 2008. In 1792, Ilbesheim's “Jacobins” staged their own revolution based on the French model, set up a freedom tree in front of the town hall and applied for the village to be incorporated into the French Republic. In 1704, during the siege of Landau, the town hall was the meeting place of Europe's greats at the time. King Joseph, Emperor of Germany in 1705, Prince Eugene, the “Noble Knight”, and the Duke of Marlborough met here as allies against the French.
In 1558 the ground floor was initially built of red sandstone. The year can be seen on the eastern archway. The hall that is open on three sides is characteristic of the town hall. A thick beam that rests on two sandstone pillars supports the hall ceiling. A year later, the three-story half-timbered structure above was built. Access to the upper floors was via an external spiral staircase on the north wall. The bulge can still be seen today. The ground floor served as a meeting and guard room and as a prison. The fire equipment was also stored here.
The local council meetings still take place on the upper floor today.
The oldest image of the Ilbesheim town hall comes from the first half of the 19th century.