Stralsund - Rathaus

Slavic Ranen lived on the island of Ruegen and the mainland opposite the island. They were independent heathens up to the middle of the 12th century, and so maybe the last non-Christian people in Central Europe.

In 1168 Danish King Valdemar I defeated the Ranen and destroyed "Jaromarsburg" their main sanctuary. After the Danish victory, the Slavic princes became feudatories of the Danish crown and accepted the Christian faith.

They founded Strale, which prospered because of the rich herring stocks in the waters, many merchants settled here who saw this as their basis for trade. Already in 1234 Slavic Prince Wizlaw I granted the village the town charter (Lübsches Stadtrecht). Stralsund now became an important trading town in the Baltic region, mainly due to settlers from Westphalia. The German settlers clearly outnumbered the Slavic population already around 1300. From 1325 on Stralsund belonged to Pomerania-Wolgast. In the 14th century, it was the most important Hanseatic city in the southern Baltic region after Lübeck.

The 15th century was Stralsund's heyday. Long-distance trade was the most important economic factor. Around 1450, 350 merchants were involved in such trade. In 1488, 50 skippers founded the "St. Marienbruderschaft der Schiffer", the forerunner of the still existing "Stralsund Schiffercompagnie".

As early as 1525, the majority of Stralsund's citizens converted to the Protestant faith. After the Thirty Years' War Stralsund belonged to the Kingdom of Sweden for almost 200 years. In 1815 Stralsund came to Prussia.
-

The building was first mentioned in 1271. The two longhouses connected by a transept and the 30 m x 60 m vaulted cellar are among the oldest parts of the town hall. Around 1320, a hall porch was built. modelled on Lübeck's town hall with a magnificent façade and which contains the council's meeting room. It is this display wall that gives the town hall its representative appearance. Above the large windows, coats of arms of the Hanseatic cities of Wismar, Lübeck, Hamburg, Greifswald, Stralsund and Rostock point to old maritime trade relations.

In 1579, the Renaissance staircase in the town hall passageway was added. A short time later, the gallery in the inner courtyard was also built. It was renovated in 1678 and again in the 1980s.

In 1680, the copper and slate roof was replaced by a tiled roof. In 1750, the façade was plastered according to the taste of the time.
The uncovering and reconstruction of the façade began in September 1881 and lasted until 1883.

The town hall can be seen as an ensemble with the neighbouring Nikolai Church, which has been known here since 1276.