Oldenburg in Holstein - Rathaus

Oldenburg used to be located on a bay in the Baltic Sea and was a harbour of the Slavic Varrians. Between 780 and 840 the "Oldenburg Wall" was built, a Slavic castle complex, of which only a rampart remains today. The Slavic princely seat "Starigard "("Old Castle") became the place name Aldinborg, later Oldenburg. The place was disputed in the early Middle Ages. Within the 10th century, the later so-called bishopric of Oldenburg was established here, which belonged to the archbishopric of Hamburg.

From about 1150 the church of St. Johannis was built. Around this time the Slavic tribes were deprived of their power, and in 1160 the bishop's seat was transferred to Lübeck.

The first town hall that we know about was destroyed by a fire in 1370. The blaze spread quickly and destroyed two-thirds of the city.

This second town hall of Oldenburg was demolished in 1668, twenty years after the end of the Thirty Years War.

The construction of a new town hall had been finished in 1668. This town hall was used until 1834.

After negotiations with the Royal Danish Government, a new town hall could be built in 1833/34. It was inaugurated in October 1834.

In 1864, a fire destroyed the roof of the town hall. An overhaul of the whole building was then carried out in 1866/67. In addition, it was decided to give the "front view of the building a more pleasing appearance by adding a clock and a small tower." The small tower and the clock still adorn the town hall today.