The Senate of the Free City of Gdańsk. Today, there is a junction here

·2 October 2026

The Senate of the Free City of Gdańsk held its sessions between 1920 and 1939 in a magnificent building on what is now Nowe Ogrody Street. The 19th-century building was destroyed during the Second World War, and its remains were demolished. Today, part of the site is occupied by the junction with 3 Maja Street and the tram tracks, whilst the rest is taken up by the City Hall. Looking at old photographs, it is hard to believe how much architectural splendour has disappeared from Gdańsk.

The origins of the building on Nowe Ogrody

The building arose from Gdańsk’s administrative ambitions. Following the re-establishment of the Province of West Prussia in 1878, the city needed prestigious headquarters for its authorities. The building housing the Office of the Mayor and the Gdańsk Provincial Government was erected at what was then 12–16 Neugartenstrasse. Work was carried out in stages between 1879 and 1887, and the design was drawn up by Karl Friedrich Endell of the Berlin Ministry of Public Works. The construction was managed by Theodor Weyer under the supervision of Bruno Ehrhardt. Opposite, the seat of the provincial council – later the Volkstag – was erected; we wrote about it HERE. Nowe Ogrody thus became a street of government offices and elegant public buildings.

The building in the 19th century. Source: Technische Universität Berlin

The Senate of the Free City of Gdańsk – architecture

The architecture of the Senate of the Free City of Gdańsk drew on the German Renaissance and traditional Gdańsk styles. The red-brick façades were adorned with light-coloured sandstone portals, cornices and window surrounds. The recessed central section formed a courtyard in front of the main entrance. The central projection with its gable was the most elaborately decorated. It featured statues of Justice, Strength, Gentleness and Wisdom, and in 1887, two lions bearing coats of arms, sculpted by Otto Lessing. This sumptuous, almost palatial architecture emphasised the importance of the office and caught the eye of passers-by.

Office interiors worthy of a palace

Behind the imposing façade lay spaces far more magnificent than ordinary offices. A vaulted hall and a marble staircase led to the rooms on the first floor. The ballroom, measuring 13 by 15 metres, featured a coffered ceiling, sculpted wall decorations and stained-glass windows. In the west wing, a ten-room flat for the provincial governor-general was fitted out, with access to the garden. The building also housed a library, a land registry archive and a cash office with a vault. It was an extensive administrative complex with truly palatial facilities.

Interiors. Source: Technische Universität Berlin

The Senate of the Free City of Gdańsk during the Second World War

In 1920, the building was taken over by the Senate of the Free City of Gdańsk, the highest executive body and the equivalent of a government. The unicameral parliament, the Volkstag, sat on the opposite side of the street. Heinrich Sahm became the first President of the Senate, holding office until 1931. In 1933, the National Socialists seized power, and the subsequent presidents were Hermann Rauschning and Arthur Greiser. The Senate ceased its activities on 1 September 1939 – with the outbreak of the Second World War and the announcement of the Free City’s incorporation into the Third Reich. The building subsequently served as the administrative headquarters of the Gdańsk-West Prussia Reich District.

Gdańsk’s Lost Architecture

The nearly 60-year history of the building at Neugartenstrasse 12–16 came to an end with severe damage in 1945 and its subsequent demolition. The building was damaged in March during the Red Army’s capture of Gdańsk. All that remained of the imposing headquarters were burnt-out brick walls, which is why it was decided not to rebuild it. An extension of 3 Maja Street, complete with tram tracks, was built across part of the former site, whilst the new City Hall was erected on the remaining land. However, fragments of the cellars in the east wing have survived underground; these were investigated in 2016 during the construction of Forum Gdańsk. This is a modest remnant of a building that once helped to define the prestigious neighbourhood of Nowe Ogrody.