The town of Prostejov was first mentioned in 1141 and developed from a small village into a vibrant town under the national rule of many different governments. Now part of the Czech Republic, it retains roots with its history in fashion and garment making as well as engineering and metal works.
From 1911 to 1914 a new town hall was built following the design by Karel Hugo Kepka. It replaced the previous town hall built in 1530, now a museum. The new town hall is still referred to as such, although parts of the town administration are now in an even newer building.
It remains a dominant building on the town square and is home to the mayor’s office and the hall for ceremonies. Despite the modernisation of processes, the mayor’s office and his reception chamber still have the original furnishings from the turn of the century.
The hall for ceremonies is similarly grand. It is used for meetings of the town council as well as weddings and end-of-year celebrations for local schools. The paintings on its walls are of the mayors of Prostejov, beginning with the first Czech-speaking mayor. Portraits of previous mayors, mostly German-speaking, are in the museum.
The images in the wooden panels around the hall are created with inlays of different types of wood.
The whole building is kept in its original style, with grand chandeliers, detailed stained glass and intricate tiling and wallpapers.
The complex workings of the astronomical clock are also on display. The clock itself is better viewed from a distance though!
From the balcony below it, there is a great view of the buildings around the central town square. This whole district is now a conservation district to preserve this architecture.
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