Old Town Hall Unkel 2018

In 1855 a new school building was built on the covered moat outside the town wall as the original two separate boys and girls school buildings in Kirchgasse became too small for the increasing number of children. Boys and girls then went to the same school building but were taught in separate classrooms. The two teachers had apartments on the upper floors. The building was made of Devon-quarry stone and the outside stairs and window reveals were made from Eifel basalt lava. After the creation of the German Reich in 1871 a „Caesar’s Oak“ was planted in front of the school, but then in 1991 it was finally cut down.

Around 1900 the school building was again too small due to the growing population. In 1909 at the former „Küppeweg“ (today Schulstraße) a new school building was opened for four classes. Until 1926, the “Old School“ was mainly used by the public town office due to a lack of space for the administration in Frankfurter Straße 15. The local council held their meetings in the boys’ classroom. In 1926, the building was redesigned and a rear annex added for the public town office and the mayor. Attic dormers and two apartments for municipal servants were added on the second floor.

After World War II the town administration remained partly in the Old Town Hall until the district administration was established. Today it is the seat of the mayor, houses the town archives and the district administration. It also has a conference room for local community boards and other events - even weddings are held there.