# Rathaus

> This file is a plain-text rendition of a page on mytuur.com, generated from the same data as the HTML version.

Canonical page: https://mytuur.com/en/city/dortmund/spot/rathaus/

Content updated: 2026-06-22

Rathaus stands in Dortmund beside Friedensplatz, with a square plan, reddish granite, and a main entrance facing the square. Two steel portals recall the city’s history as a steel city. The wheelchair-accessible building frames Friedensplatz beside the Altes Stadthaus, whose paving echoes the geometry of its layout.

Built between 1987 and 1989, the modern city hall answered inadequate civic spaces and a council chamber in the old Stadthaus. A competition selected Dieter Kälberer’s design from 28 entries. Construction began in January 1987, and completion was marked by a public celebration in June 1989. The project served as a symbol of civic pride and renewal during economic challenges.

At its centre, a 28-metre Bürgerhalle rises beneath a glass dome and leads to exhibitions about Dortmund’s history. A café occupies the ground floor. A double staircase reaches the parliamentary level, where the council chamber has 138 seats and an outward-bulging glass façade. Up to 140 spectators can view meetings from a second-floor gallery, while four meeting rooms occupy the first floor. Locals sometimes call the granite building a large “beer crate.”

- City: [Dortmund](https://mytuur.com/en/city/dortmund/)

## Photos

- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_Rathaus_678a63a5ebe7a333a72d95f0_0.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Dortmund_Rathaus_IMGP6046.jpg)

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