If you want your new city hall to resemble a Gothic cathedral, then you hire an architect who specializes in Gothic cathedrals. That is exactly what the city council did when they commissioned Friedrich von Schmidt, the same man who restored nearby St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Since 1883, Wiener Rathaus has officed the mayor, council and other municipal functions. At the top of the clock tower is a 17.7 foot statue of Rathausmann (Town Hall Man). If you are squinting to see the sculpture, you will find a full-size replica in Rathauspark. Consider having a regional meal or at least a beer in Wiener Rathauskeller. Rathskellers in the basement of town halls has been a German tradition for centuries. The word means council’s cellar.
