Town Hall in Bielsko-Biała

The Town Hall in Bielsko-Biała is a Neo-Renaissance building from 1897, still the seat of the city authorities. You can recognise it by its square tower 52 metres high, topped with an onion dome.

Why a new town hall was built

In the 1890s the authorities of Biała considered the town hall of 1827 insufficient. The construction of a new one was financed by the Municipal Savings Bank, which announced a competition in February 1894. From eight designs the work of Emanuel Rost Jr was chosen. Construction lasted from September 1895 to September 1897, and the building was occupied in October 1897.

Architecture and the tower

The building has three storeys and the plan of an elongated rectangle. The central projecting bay is crowned with a mansard roof, and the north-eastern one rises into the tower. The plinth is faced with rusticated stone, and the upper floor is decorated with Ionic pilasters. The clock with a carillon plays the town bugle call every three hours. At the top stands a sculpture of the goddess Eirene with a cornucopia and Plutus, and a shield with a bee, a symbol of industriousness.

Interiors

The vestibule on the ground floor has vaults supported on eight black granite Tuscan columns. The staircase has two mirrored flights with a marble balustrade. The most important room is the Council Chamber on the first floor, with an area of 160 m² and a height of 8.6 m, with a gallery for the public.

Next door

Next door stand the Teatr Polski, the Castle of the Sułkowski Princes and the Cathedral of St Nicholas. Right beside it you will find the Reksio monument.

Practical information

• Address: plac Ratuszowy 1.
• It is a working office. The tower is not open to tourists, and entry is possible only with permission. You view mainly the façade from the square.