The „New“ Town Hall

The building housing the municipal council today used to be a simple townhouse for several centuries, known for trading flour and basic groceries. Unlike one might imagine, the building does not date back to the late medieval period, but was built in the late 19th century. At this period, when it became fashionable to recreate medieval structures, councillor Ferdinand von Kaltenegger bought the townhouse and had another floor added: new elements such as the watchtower and the crenellated roof as well as fine wall panelling and beamed ceilings inside the building transformed the old store into the prestigious “Castle Taurenstein.” When Kaltenegger died in 1911, the town council purchased the property and transferred its headquarters from north of the “Lauben” arcades to the southern side facing Cathedral Square. This was also to show how public authorities were increasing their influence south of the city, in an area formerly dominated by the church.

Interesting details

It was from 1450-1525 that many façades in Brixen were embellished with so-called joint painting. The white or coloured joints applied on the layer of finishing coat were to give a more sophisticated touch to the architecture in town. This wide-spread trend in the German-speaking area is still visible from the north façade of the town hall when walking along the “Lauben” passageway. The wall paintings inside the building are inspired by medieval painting and show some crucial scenes from Tyrolean and local history.

05.06.2018