Chronicle in Stone

A frieze consisting of 36 terracotta panels runs along the balconies and above the entrances to the Red Town Hall. Following a proposal by the chief architect, Hermann Friedrich Waesemann, these additional decorative elements were added to the Red Town Hall façade in the 1870s. Known collectively as the “Chronicle in Stone,” they are the work of sculptors Ludwig Brodwolf, Alexander Calandrelli, Otto Geyer, and Rudolf Schweinitz. The frieze visually depicts the history of Berlin from the 12th to the 19th century.

Bombing raids during the Second World War caused extensive damage to the Red Town Hall, including the frieze. When work to rebuild the Town Hall began in 1951, records of the frieze designs were incomplete, making reconstruction of the Chronicle in Stone difficult. Fortunately, members of the public shared their personal photos and drawings of the artworks.

The starring role in the Chronicle in Stone goes to the people of Berlin. Half of the panels show life in the medieval city: bustling marketplaces and traveling tradesmen, craftspeople, the legal system, and everyday activities. The remaining panels depict the rule of the Prussian monarchs and Berlin’s dramatic rise in the 19th century. Featured episodes include Berlin losing its status as an independent city in the 15th century and regaining the right to self-government after reforms in the early 19th century. Several panels highlight the city as a center of liberal thought where important scientists, scholars, and artists could leave their mark.

To see the Chronicle in order, start on Grunerstraße (at the corner with Spandauer Straße) and walk counterclockwise (toward Jüdenstraße) around the building.

Events and people in the Chronicle in Stone