Segringer Straße in Dinkelsbühl is an important axis running through the historic old town centre. It runs uphill from the market square in a westerly direction to Segringer Tor and bears witness to the multi-layered urban development of the former imperial city. Even in medieval times, the street was divided into different market areas – Brettermarkt, Hafenmarkt, Brotmarkt and Schmalzmarkt – which indicates its central role in the economic life of the city. The pig market was also located behind today’s New Town Hall.
Architecture of the New Town Hall
The northern side of the street presents a multi-faceted building culture, dominated by the typical medieval character of the town. The New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) stands out as a striking baroque building. It was originally built in 1733 as the private home of the postmaster, senator and later mayor Bauer. The four-storey hipped roof building with its striking triangular gable first served as the imperial post office, then as the Gasthof zum Stern (restaurant) and from 1855 as the town hall and administrative centre of the town. With its elaborate paintwork, bright red rendering and altana-like roof structure, the new town hall characterises the townscape of Dinkelsbühl. Another striking feature is the banner above the portal with a quote from the so-called Richtungsbrief of 1387, which commemorates the historical achievement of political co-determination by the guilds.
Other buildings in the northern side of Segringer Straße follow a typical mixture of half-timbered buildings and plastered town houses, which blend harmoniously into the historic townscape. Until the early modern period, the street largely retained its character as a half-timbered ensemble, interrupted only occasionally by stone buildings such as the Old Town Hall. Later structural additions, including the baroque four-winged complex of the Teutonic Order in Föhrenberggasse or the 19th century Protestant parish church of St Paul, also emphasise the constant urban development of Dinkelsbühl. Segringer Straße, for example, is a lively neighbourhood today.
