Rathaus / City Hall Hamburg
Originally uploaded by HamburgCam.
The old City Hall in Hamburg burned down in the "great fire of 1842"
To find a new location, deciding on the architect and actually completing the new City Hall took over 50 years!
The picture shows the current City Hall of Hamburg (Rathaus in german) wich was finished building in 1897.
The square in front of it is usually full of people. When the weather is nice, many "Hamburger" will enjoy their lunch break in front of the "Rathaus". There is also a restaurant in the basement and a Café in the courtyard inside the town hall.
If you happen to see a group of younger people, dressed in funny clothes, drinking alcohol and one of them sweeping the ground with a broom, you are witnessing an intereting tradition. The person sweeping has just turned 30 years old and he is not married, yet. His friends drag him to the town square and make him sweep the ground, untill a virgin girl kisses him and he is released of the sweeping duty ;-)
1 comment:
Very nice city hall and an interesting tradition to sweep on your 30th bithday :-)
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