Ratusz [the Town Hall]

Being both a historic and current seat of the City Council, it is the second biggest and most spectacular monument, right after the basilica, in Kołobrzeg. It is undoubtedly an ornament of the Old Town, often photographed by tourists or seen on postcards. Although it resembles a Scottish defensive castle (and rightly so, because the architect had been looking for inspiration in Scotland before the creation of the project), it never had a military role. It is not as old as one would expect from a city with a millennial history. The red brick building was built between 1829 and 1832 in the neo-Gothic style, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the architect famous not only in Germany. Kołobrzeg needed then a new town hall since the previous one burnt down in July 1807 while being shelled by Napoleon's army besieging the town. Only part of the cellars and the north-west corner next to contemporary district office remained from the damaged fourteenth-century structure. Differences between Gothic and neo-Gothic styles are visible with the naked eye, namely bricks, windows and stone columns are slightly different.

The building resembles the letter 'C,' open southwards, looking from a bird's eye view. At the front and then upstairs, there is a courtyard and the main door as well as two entrances to the town hall. A clock tower with the crest of the town and the emblem of Poland towers above the building. You can hear the sounds of the town's bugle call played from the town hall. It can be heard at 9.00 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. In 2014, a 'Patria Colbergiensis 'museum was opened in the basement of the hall, which exhibits private collections of Robert Maziarz, who is so in love with the town. He has been buying the exhibits for years at auctions around the world, in the way known only to him, until the collection became too huge to be kept in his house. Then, he decided to open a museum at his own cost, and share his passion with others. The museum is adjacent to the Adabar musical restaurant, which has been located for years in wonderfully vaulted cellars older than the building itself, as they are remnants of the old town hall.  In the town hall there are seats of the City Council Office, Registry Office, the Gallery of Modern Art, some departments of the Town Hall, and Tourist Information Centre. In the historic concert hall, solemn ceremonies are held.

The historic building is in the centre of the square, surrounded by terraced houses of the so-called new old town, with shops and restaurants. Commemorative coins are minted by a minter in front of the town hall. There has also been a pillory since 2015, but it is only an attraction for tourists.

In the past, the real pillory was located at the back of the town hall. The tourist has reason to go there because of Jacob Adebar, about whom legends have grown. Before the story about that young man is told, you should be sure that there are no youths around, as drastic political, thrilling and love themes from the first half of the sixteenth century will appear.

The year 1524 ended in Kołobrzeg with the rebellion of guilds against the City Council dominated by patricians. In September, Jacob Adebar became the leader of the protesters, but nobody was bothered by the fact that he was a patrician and councillor himself. Jacob was        a  son of the mayor and hoped to become a mayor himself in the future; but by then he wanted to put an end to a family conflict, lasting for generations, with the Schlieffens, who were dominant in the Council. Therefore, he led to a revolt and weakened the City Council in such a way that 48 representatives of the guilds formed a second 'chamber,' which also had a right to voice their opinions on the matters relating to Kołobrzeg. The patricians lost their monopoly of power; voting results in both chambers have started to be taken into account. The power struggle did not end then. Jacob made an agreement with Erasmus von Manteuffel, the bishop of Kamień, and began to be his representative. The opposing camp regarded it as treason. As a result, the ambitious local politician was arrested, and, between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, beheaded ... The tragedy of these events may be slightly sweetened by some records, in which we can find information that Jacob had a short, but colourful, life. He was apparently not only interested in business and politics, but also had an uncontrollable desire for women. And it is his escapades as a lover, whose charm worked on maidens and married women, that was supposed to be the real reason for arresting and executing the young Adebar. What is the truth then?

One of the columns of the town hall, the one with a town pillory at its side, is called 'the column of Adebar' because of a carving of a gargoyle with the face of the legendary leader of the rebellion of townspeople and the then Casanova. It is worth finding it, leaning to see the head, eyes, nose and mouth carved in stone at the bottom of the stone capital of the column. The ones longing for happiness in love stroke the face and dream. One thing is certain: the column with a carved face of Adebar survived the ravages of the Napoleonic wars; and, when the town hall burnt down, only this part survived. What also survived is the legend...