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Town Hall in Nowe Warpno

Nowe Warpno · 53.7253° N, 14.2808° E
Town Hall in Nowe Warpno

The half-timbered building was erected in 1627 on the site of its predecessor, which had been destroyed by fire.

The town hall has served as the seat of the municipal government since its inception. The town hall is located in the northwestern part of Nowe Warpno, in the center of Plac Zwycięstwa, which is bordered by ul. Warszawska to the northeast and ul. Kościuszki to the southwest. Magnificent linden trees grow in front of the town hall. The date of construction of the first town hall in Nowe Warpno is unknown. The first mention of a town hall dates back to 1556, when, following the town fire of 1555, reconstruction of the town began thanks to the grants made by Duke Philip I (the settlement was granted, among other things, rights to the island of Kahleberg, now called Łysa Wyspa or Ptasia Wyspa), the town’s reconstruction began. Documents from that time also mention a Gothic town hall. The foundations of the current town hall are remnants of the Gothic one. Nowe Warpno was ravaged by fires many times. In the next fire, in 1692, the town hall burned down again. Subsequently, in 1697, the current town hall was built in the Baroque style. The building was constructed using the half-timbered technique common at the time. The shape and architectural composition of the facade have been completely preserved to this day. The few renovations carried out since its construction involved repairs to small facade elements and minor changes to the building’s interior. In 1885, among other things, the door frames were replaced, some basement ceilings were renewed, the tower walls were reinforced, and the facade was re-plastered. A 20th-century fire station is attached to the northeast wall of the town hall. It was originally built entirely of half-timber. It currently houses the offices of the municipal administration. From the very beginning, the town hall served as the seat of the municipal administration. It continues to fulfill its original function today. It is a unique structure and the most valuable historical monument in Nowe Warpno. It is also likely the only town hall of its kind in Poland that still serves its original purpose today. The town hall was built on stone and brick foundations that originally formed the base of the Gothic town hall. The framework of the walls consists of brown-toned oak. The spaces between the timbers are filled with ceramic bricks. The roof truss was constructed using the rafter-collar beam technique with roof truss supports on both sides. The structural base of the spire consists of eight load-bearing columns, which are braced by intersecting struts and secured at the bottom—on two levels—with clamps. The tower features a clock whose movement was manufactured in 1922 in Berlin at the Georg Richter Tower Clock Factory. The tower itself and the ridge turret of the former fire station are clad in galvanized sheet metal. The tower offers a beautiful view of Lake Nowowarpieńskie, the Podgrodzie district, Altwarp, and the town itself. The town hall is listed in the register of historic monuments. Its volume is approximately 2,840 m³ and its floor area is 285 m². Because it continues to serve its original function (as the seat of the municipal administration), the building is not open to the public for self-guided tours. The building is open only during office hours. Without causing any major disruption, visitors can enter the foyer and the office corridors, the city council chamber, and the wedding hall; however, gaining access to the tower or the offices will not be so easy.

The Town Hall in Nowe Warpno – A Living Historic Monument

The Town Hall in Nowe Warpno is one of the most remarkable historic buildings on the southern Baltic Sea coast. The current building was constructed in 1697 in the Baroque style using classic half-timbered construction—on Gothic stone and brick foundations dating back to a 16th-century predecessor. It is likely the only town hall of its kind in Poland that still serves its original function as the seat of the municipal administration.

Half-timbered architecture with a fully preserved facade

The architectural composition of the facade has remained virtually unchanged since the building’s construction. The framework of the walls consists of brown-toned oak beams, with the spaces between them filled with ceramic bricks. The striking tower features a clock whose movement was manufactured in 1922 at the Georg Richter Tower Clock Factory in Berlin. From the tower, there is a beautiful view of Lake Nowowarpieńskie, the Podgrodzie district, and nearby Altwarp on the German side of the border—a region closely linked to the Baltic Sea coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Tour of the Town Hall in Nowe Warpno

Since the building is actively used as an administrative headquarters, self-guided tours are not possible. However, during office hours, visitors can view the entrance hall, the hallways, the city council chamber, and the wedding hall. The town hall is located on Plac Zwycięstwa in the northwestern part of Nowe Warpno, surrounded by magnificent linden trees.