The Town Hall
Without a doubt, the Town Hall is the most important building in the city. Traditionally, it was the seat of the municipal authorities, where the mayor's office functioned on a daily basis. It was here that important political decisions were made, city councilors and jurors deliberated, disputes were judged and punishments were administered. In Polish cities, the town hall building may have also housed an archive, a treasury or a library, depending on the city wealth. The cellars housed a prison or torture chamber, often coexisting with a beer and wine tavern.
Not every town could afford to have a town hall.
Historical sources mention that there was a town hall in the Old Market Square in Częstochowa. It is mentioned in the royal surveys of 1564 and 1660, which report that the building had brick cellars where beer from the city of Wrocław was sold. Unfortunately, most of the documents concerning the history of Częstochowa are lost, so it is not known when the Town Hall was erected. It certainly existed already in the second half of the 16th century, and functioned until the early 19th century.
