For me, the historic town hall built from boulders and dating back to 1408 is THE highlight in downtown Meppen and is now considered the city's landmark.
In the first years of the 17th century it was expanded considerably and a floor made of brick was added. In order to increase the floor space for the upper floors, an open arched hall was presented to the building. The stepped gable with semi-circular attachments is strongly based on Münster models.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the building seems to have been quite dilapidated, since the Arenberg building director Josef Niehaus was asked by the city for an expert opinion on its renovation.
In 1885, the attachments were finally removed and the top of the gable was fitted with a simple triangular gable. In addition, the hood of the lateral stair tower, which was only added in 1611, had to be removed due to dilapidation.
In 1909 it was decided to reconstruct the tower and gable in the form they still have today. Inside is a sandstone chimney dated 1605.
A sandstone relief above the central arch depicting the biblical judgment of Solomon is a reminder of this. A ship on the top of the town hall tower bears witness to Meppen's connection to the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages. Today the town hall houses a café. The historic council hall is still used for receptions and civil weddings.