To mark the 100th anniversary of the town hall's inauguration on 2 September 1911, the city archives are presenting this publication. It not only describes how the New Town Hall, the "heart of the city", came into being. The reader can also follow the development of important areas of city life from the beginnings to 1911, such as the school and church, museum and theatre, health and old people's care, building and transport, as well as finance and law, which are depicted in the allegories on the ceiling of the lobby. Numerous previously unpublished photos from the city archives provide a detailed insight into the construction and original furnishings of the representative rooms of the town hall at the time of its inauguration.