Žilina Gallery :: Fotogaléria mesta Žiliny

11 – The Old Town Hall, Radničná ul. č. 1

Turistická informačná tabuľka č. 11 s QR kódom na budove Radnice
(Foto: 26. 5. 2007)

The Old Town Hall: The Žilina Town Hall was mentioned for the first time in 1508. It is not known what preceded this building but the odds are that an older Town Hall must have existed, probably in another locality. The present mayor’s seat was built on the site of an older house. The town went to litigation with the owners of Strečno in order to buy this house and took possession of the building in 1509. A legend says that there was a bell on the pinnacle of the Town Hall, which rang whenever a condemned was led to the place of execution called Šibeničný vrch (Gallows Hill). Apart from the headquarters of the city administration, the building housed a room for the night guards, a prison and an archive. This building (with original Gothic cellars) has been reconstructed many times – from the original Gothic style, the Rennaissance to the present condition following the redevelopment of the upper parts of the house in 1890. In 1893 – 1894, a new building (of the Baroque and Art Nouveau style) was made which served the town until the erection of the so-called Financial Palace.

The seat of the Town Museum: On the initiative of the Mayor Vojtech Tvrdý, a museum was created here in 1942, divided into two parts: the history of the town and its surroundings and an exhibition of tinkers’ craft. The Town Hall became a centre of social life. According to the press at the time, thanks to the museum not only domestic but also foreign visitors used to go there. According to memories of Jozef Nižňanský, most tourists were from Croatia, for whom tinkers’ craft was an entirely unknown concept. The museum was in the town hall until the end of World War II. Later, it briefly served as a museum repository and after 1948, it was transferred to Budatín Castle.

The seat of Žilina’s mayor: On the facade of the building from Radničná Street, you will see a relief of the coat of arms of Žilina used in 1683 and a memorial plaque in honor of the 600th anniversary of the issue of Privilegium pro Slavis Solnensis. The Mayor of Žilina returned to the Town Hall in 1990. In 1994, a carillon was installed on the Town Hall. On the ground floor of the Town Hall is a Wedding Hall. The mayor’s office and the town council meeting room are on the first floor. The premises of the original Gothic cellars have been used for exhibitions and presentations since 2007.

Source: TIO Žilina (researched from academic literature).. Text prevzatý z webovej stránky TIK Žilina (kliknite): www.tikzilina.eu.