In the 14th century Town Hall Square was the central place of Riga. All the events significant to the city were held here – from executions to celebrations. And, as in any European city, a town hall was built here, where the Riga council sat, and once a year decrees and laws were read out to the townspeople from its balcony. Back then, however, the square was not Town Hall Square, but simply an unnamed trading square.
The first administration building perished in a fire, presumably at the hands of the Order's troops. We can judge what the second town hall looked like only from old pictures. They depict a Gothic building under a high roof. This structure also failed to survive the war – it was bombed by Peter the Great's troops at the beginning of the 18th century.
A few decades later, the town hall was restored, designed in the Classicist style with Baroque elements. In the second half of the 19th century, according to the design of the famous architect Johann Felsko, the silhouette of the building underwent yet more changes – a third floor was added, and overall the outlines became slightly simpler, giving the town hall a certain elegance.
Before the Second World War, the city's largest library was housed in Riga Town Hall. The beginning of the hostilities brought catastrophic destruction: of the town hall, as of many other landmark buildings, only ruins remained. A new project, implemented for Riga's 800th anniversary, made it possible to restore the magnificent structure, which opened in 2003. At present, the Riga City Council meets here.
