Kuldīga New Town Hall

The New Town Hall of Kuldīga houses the Kuldīga Municipality, which is the only municipality in Latvia that operates in a historically council-built building. On a daily basis, the New Town Hall is open to residents and city visitors alike. Its grand hall hosts wedding ceremonies, receptions for city guests, council meetings, and other gatherings important for the development of the city and municipality.

The building was constructed in 1868 based on the design of architect Otto Dietze, and it is marked as the New Town Hall in the 1873 city plan. The Town Hall was built in an eclectic style, incorporating medieval forms. Its layout is symmetrical, very clear, and simple. Traditionally, the council hall is located on the second floor, with access to a balcony from which officials could address the city’s residents and visitors.

A clock is visible on the Town Hall’s façade, with two dials showing the time both inside the council hall and in the square outside. In 1953, when the building housed the Kuldīga District Committee of the Communist Party, the old clock was discarded as unnecessary for the new era. Fortunately, a local resident prevented it from being lost. Carefully restored by the talented clockmaker Eduards Oškalns, this antique mechanism has been keeping time for the residents of Kuldīga and its visitors again since 1980.

Since 1992, the building has served as the city council.