Cologne City Hall Years' War (1618–1648), however was not in official use before the 19th century. After having been heavily damaged in 1942, the building was completely rebuilt in 1953. Cologne City Hall The City Hall () is a historical building in Cologne, western Germany. It is located off Hohe Straße in the district of Innenstadt, and set between the two squares of Rathausplatz and Alter Markt. It houses part of the city government, including the city council and offices of the Lord Mayor. It is Germany's oldest city hall with a documented history spanning some 900 years. The history of its council
Historical Archive of the City of Cologne so-called White Book ("Weißes Buch"), a book of copies of charters and privileges. By 1370 the archives were located in the "Haus zur Stessen". In medieval Cologne, valuable goods and important trade documents were frequently stored in vaulted warehouses specially built in backyards. This method of storage was used by both business owners and the municipal administration. Documents included grants of privileges, contracts, records of lawsuits, maps, seals and documents from the estates of important persons. As the city and its national and international trade thrived and prospered, the municipal administration began to plan further storage to house the growing