Dordrecht's City Hall was first a market hall. It was built in 1383 for Flemish merchants who traded cloth there. In 1544, the city's administrators moved into the building and it became the city hall. The square in front of the city hall was laid out in 1679. The building lost its medieval facade during a major renovation in the 19th century. Then the City Hall received its current facade and staircase with lions.
Throughout City Hall there are paintings and objects that have something to do with the city and its history. In the hall or Civic Hall is a large oak fireplace with paintings to the left and right. There is a bust of Johan de Witt. Also located here is the Jewish Monument with the names of 221 Jewish Dordrians who perished during the Second World War.
In the Kennedy Room, the city's administrators used to meet; now it is a wedding hall. The murals are by Reinier Kennedy. They show important periods of Dordrecht history. The Jachtkamer is also used as a (small) wedding room.
The Council Chamber still shows what the beamed ceiling and masonry looked like in the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the city prison was located in the city hall. In the attic you can see the cells in which the prisoners were kept. Most of the attic beams come from 1383. The cross vaults in the basement also come from that time.
