The completion of the Herford town hall on the former site of the abbey castle next to the cathedral church took place during the First World War. Similar to a castle, the town hall consists of a central building with two wings. The entire two-storey council chamber is panelled in wood and spectators have a clear view of the council members' round table from the gallery.
There used to be a police station and prison in Herford's town hall. During the National Socialist era, the "Gestapo" detained numerous innocent victims of persecution here. Many of them were sent from here to concentration camps and thus to certain death. Countless prisoners carved their names into the old wooden doors - traces of their oppressive fates that are still visible today. The Zellentrakt memorial is a branch of the Herford municipal archives and is run on a voluntary basis by the "Erinnern Forschen Gedenken" (Remember, Research, Remember) board of trustees.
In the immediate vicinity of the town hall are the cathedral church and the market hall, further sights of the town, which together with the surrounding collegiate houses form a central and very worth seeing urban ensemble in Herford.
The Herford Tourist Information Office has been housed in the small market hall since August 2019 as a central point of contact for guests, visitors and citizens.
Further information: www.fahr-im-kreis.de
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Directions & Parking facilities
Via the A2 highway:
Take exit 29 in the direction of Herford/Bad Salzuflen and follow the B239. Take the first exit in the direction of Herford/Ahmser Straße and follow the road via Rennstraße, Johannisstraße and Bergertorstraße. Stay in this lane and turn left onto Berliner Straße/L712. Continue straight ahead onto "Auf der Freiheit". At the town hall, turn left onto Abteistraße, then immediately left again onto Rathausplatz. The market hall is on the right-hand side.
via the A30:
Take exit 29 in the direction of Kirchlengern/Löhne/Herford and turn left onto Ostring/B239. At the traffic circle, take the second exit in the direction of Herforder Str./B239 and follow this road for about 6 km. At the traffic circle, take the third exit onto Schillerstraße. Turn right at the traffic lights onto "Auf der Freiheit", then immediately left again onto Abteistraße and left again onto Rathausplatz. The market hall is on the right.
By train:
Herford is an IC/ICE train station.
The walk from the main station to the market hall is only about 10 minutes: At the station forecourt, cross the pedestrian lights, keep left and follow the road to the traffic circle. Turn right here into Schillerstraße and continue straight ahead along Arndtstraße. Cross the pedestrian lights and continue in the direction of Münsterkirche. The market hall is on the right-hand side.
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