Town Hall of Bremen, Germany

Germany-33, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

The Town Hall of Bremen is the seat of the President of the Senate and of the Mayor of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. It is one of the most important examples of Brick Gothic architecture in Europe. In July 2004, along with the Bremen Roland, the building was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The old town hall was built between 1405 and 1409. From 1595 to 1612, the architect Lüder von Bentheim renovated the structure and created the new façade which overlooks the market. Built in the style of the Weser Renaissance (a local variation of ), the façade features architectural elements based on masters of the Dutch Renaissance, such as Hans Vredeman de Vries, Hendrik Goltzius and Jacob Floris. Between 1909 and 1913, the Munich architect Gabriel von Seidl constructed an extension at the back of the building in the style of the Neo-Renaissance. By boarding up the outer walls, the citizens of Bremen succeeded in protecting the building largely from the bombs of the Second World War which destroyed more than 60% of the city. The city hall has been restored several times, most recently in 2003.