New Town Hall in Prostějov

The New Town Hall dominates T. G. Masaryk Square in Prostějov and ranks among the most recognizable landmarks of the region of Haná. Its tall tower rises above the surrounding rooftops, and the building has served as the seat of the town council for more than a century.

When was the town hall built and who designed it?

The idea of erecting a new, representative town hall dates back to the late 19th century, when a Czech majority took control of the town's administration. Nearly twenty years passed between the first concrete proposal in 1893 and the actual construction. On 6 April 1909 the project was commissioned to Professor Karel Hugo Kepka, a civil engineering professor teaching in Brno, born in 1869 in Plzeň and educated at the Czech Technical University in Prague. After adjustments to the budget and plans, building work began in 1911 and the town hall was completed in 1914.

Why does the tower stand to one side instead of the center?

One of the building's most distinctive features is its asymmetrically placed tower, shifted to the right of the main entrance. It was originally meant to rise from the exact center of the facade, but before construction started the town had only managed to purchase two houses and their plots on the site. The third property, needed for the planned right wing, could never be acquired, so that wing was never built and the tower remained off-center.

How tall is the tower and what tops it?

The tower reaches a height of 66 meters, making it one of the tallest architectural landmarks in the area. It is crowned with a copper dome and houses an astronomical clock. The building itself is a monumental two-story structure that blends historicist forms with Art Nouveau detailing, visible in both the composition of the facades and the ornamental elements.

What can visitors see inside?

The representative interiors, especially around the main staircase and in the halls on the first and second floors, retain rich early 20th-century decoration. The walls are largely finished in wood, torgament, and artificial marble, while the fireplaces are made of Carrara marble. The stucco work was created by Vladimír Pleský, the sculptural decoration by Josef Bernauer, and the furniture was supplied by Robert Kořalka's workshop. Construction itself was carried out mainly by local builders Rudolf Konečný and Josef Nedělník.

What protection status does the building have today?

The New Town Hall has been listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic since 10 August 1993, and since 1 July 2024 it has held the status of a national cultural monument, the country's highest level of heritage protection. The building still houses the town's administration, and its exterior facades have recently undergone a comprehensive restoration.

Frequently asked questions

When was the New Town Hall in Prostějov built? It was constructed between 1911 and 1914 to a design by Karel Hugo Kepka, although the first proposals date back to 1893.

How tall is the town hall tower? The tower is 66 meters tall and contains an astronomical clock beneath its copper dome.

Why isn't the tower centered on the facade? Because the town could not buy the third plot of land needed to build the right wing in line with the tower's planned central position.

Is the town hall a protected monument? Yes, it has been a cultural monument since 1993 and became a national cultural monument in 2024.