Rathaus Building

One of the most remarkable buildings on the town square of Wels is the town hall with its representative baroque façade, the weighty window baskets and the stone portal. The Attica, abundantly decorated with stucco ornaments and stone vases, bears the coat-of-arms of the nine federal states of Austria.

The town hall originally consisted of two citizen houses which were built according to the plans of Johann Michael Prunner between 1736 and 1739. In addition to Prunner, local forces were involved in the reconstruction of the town hall.
 
The façade is divided by pilasters and decorated with stucco. Window crowns and wrought-iron window baskets emphasize the overall appeal. Above the stone portal, which is flanked by two pillars with attached vases, you can see the coat-of-arms of the City of Wels. The coat-of-arms of the Hapsburgian hereditary lands are depicted on the façade, decorated with stucco. Stone vases are mounted on the attic as well as on top of the portal.
 
The town hall is the headquarter of the city administration.
 
In ancient times, it was the center of urban life. Back then, the property owners gave the blood jurisdiction to the Welser town councilors. Judgments about life or death were held in or even in front of the town hall.