1878The town hall is to be demolished!

In the 19th century, Alsfeld Town Hall was in a poor state of repair. The turrets were dilapidated and had been removed, the arcades on the ground floor were walled up, parts of the facade were covered with slate tiles, and the roof was leaking. In view of these problems, the city council decided on December 3, 1878, to demolish the town hall.

However, this met with resistance from District Councilor Robert Hoffmann, who refused to approve the council’s decision. The city then turned to the district committee, which also voted in favor of demolition. But the District Councilor overturned this decision as well by appealing to the next higher authority, the provincial committee, which spoke out against the demolition. It is important to emphasize that Alsfeld belonged to the Grand Duchy of Hesse at that time, and democratic structures were only in their infancy.

The restoration required financial resources that the city was unwilling to provide. District Councilor Hoffmann therefore took charge of the financing, partly even out of his own pocket. A specially founded citizens’ initiative called the “Comitees” also provided support. In 1880, Hoffmann succeeded in winning Grand Duke Ludwig as a patron, after which the necessary funds began to flow. Despite some successes, the path to renovating the city’s landmark was long and rocky. The restoration work on Alsfeld Town Hall was not completed until 1912. (JP)