Novi Sad City Hall

Novi Sad City Hall
Градска кућа Gradska kuća Újvidéki Városháza Novosadská Radnica Новосадска Ратуша
Novi Sad City Hall, August 2023
General information
Architectural style	Neo-Renaissance
Address	Trg slobode 1
Town or city	Novi Sad
Country	Serbia
Coordinates	45°15′17.62″N 19°50′40.35″E
Current tenants	City of Novi Sad
Construction started	1893 (1893)
Completed	1895 (1895)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	György Molnár
Cultural Heritage of Serbia
Type	Protected Cultural Monument
Designated	22 July 1997
Reference no.	SК 1521

The Novi Sad City Hall (Serbian: Градска кућа, Gradska kuća, Hungarian: Újvidéki Városháza, Slovak: Novosadská Radnica, Rusyn: Новосадска Ратуша) or the Magistrate is a neo-renaissance building housing the municipal institutions of Novi Sad, the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Due to its heritage value, it is listed as a protected cultural monument of the Republic of Serbia. The building is located on Trg slobode (Freedom Square), in the Stari Grad (Old Town) district. The current building has been the center of the city administration for over 100 years while the institution of the Magistrate itself dates back to 1748, the year Novi Sad gained the status of a free royal city.

History

On February 1, 1748, Novi Sad gained the status of a royal free city of the Kingdom of Hungary within the Austrian Empire, yet it lacked an administrative building. Over the years, the city's administration frequently relocated, and the location of the future City Hall was a contentious issue. In 1869, a Building Committee was formed to hold a design competition. By 1890, renowned builder Jozef Cocek designed the building in a Neo-Baroque style, but the Ministry criticized the facade as overly ornate. Consequently, György Molnár, another prominent architect, was commissioned to create a more restrained Neo-Renaissance facade, which was eventually approved. Construction began in 1893 on land purchased from the Stefanović family, despite public opposition and petitions to preserve their house. However, the city administration proceeded, demolishing the house to build City Hall. The first council session in the new building was held in 1894.

The building was completed in 1895. The building was modelled after the Grazer Rathaus in Styria. Before its construction, political disputes arose over the location where the building should be built. Svetozar Miletić proposed the Serbian National Theatre to be built on the current City Hall site, while local Roman Catholic community insisted the hall should be placed on the main square, opposite the Name of Mary Church, where the hall was ultimately built.

The building was vandalized by protestors in the aftermath of the collapse of the canopy of Novi Sad railway station.

In popular media

Square of Violence is an American drama film shot in Novi Sad in 1961. The film is set in Italy during the Second World War, with major events shot at Freedom Square in Star Grad neighborhood, along with several scenes inside the city hall.

Gallery

• 
  Proposed plan for City Hall in Novi Sad by Jozef Cocek, 1893
• 
  Postcard of Novi Sad, 1897
• 
  City Hall at Franz Joseph Square (now Freedom Square), 1900
• 
  Postcard of City Hall, 1917
• 
  City Hall, July 2010
• 
  City Hall, September 2012
• 
  City Hall façade details, September 2012
• 
  City Hall at night, October 2016
• 
  City Hall at night, December 2019
• 
  City Hall façade details, May 2020
• 
  City coat of arms on City Hall, May 2020
• 
  City Hall entrance passage, June 2020
• 
  City Hall from Pozorišni Trg (Theater Square), June 2020
• 
  City Hall from Kralja Aleksandra street, September 2020
• 
  City Hall, November 2022
• 
  City Hall, April 2023

See also

• Stari dvor
• Banovina Palace