Perhaps you’ve passed by this impressive building without realizing its rich history. That is the Rathaus Johannisthal. It stands as a testament to a time when Johannisthal was an independent community. Let’s delve into the story of this remarkable building.
The Rathaus Johannisthal was built between 1905 and 1906. Georg Roensch, a Charlottenburg architect, designed it in the Neorenaissance style. Back then, the construction cost 180,000 marks. That’s equivalent to around 1.34 million euros today.
Notice the three-story plastered building. Observe its high base and sandstone details. Two decorative gables face Sterndamm and Hoevelstraße. On the west side, there used to be an onion dome with pentagonal corner turrets. Sadly, war damage led to simplifications during reconstruction. The roof turret, gable tips, and balcony above the main entrance were removed.
Interestingly, the land on which the Rathaus Johannisthal stands was a gift. The heirs of Baron Carl Trützschler von Falkenstein donated it.
Inside the Rathaus Johannisthal, the layout was quite practical. The ground floor housed offices. On the first floor was the assembly hall. Here, paintings by Beckmann depicted King Frederick II and Kaiser Wilhelm II. Frederick the Great was shown as a colonizer. Wilhelm II appeared as an admiral. These images referenced Johannisthal’s founding in 1753. Sadly, these paintings disappeared after 1945. The upper floors served as apartments for the mayor and other officials. The basement, still today, housed a Ratskeller tavern.
In 1920, Johannisthal became part of Greater Berlin. Consequently, the Rathaus Johannisthal lost its function as the town’s administrative center. Most tasks shifted to Rathaus Treptow.
However, the Rathaus Johannisthal remained important. Until the end of World War II, it housed the local government office. It also contained the registry office. Due to the war, it also managed food ration cards. A municipal children’s daycare and a branch of the police station were there.
In the early 1940s, a new police station opened nearby. Yet, the criminal police stayed in the Rathaus Johannisthal. Even after 1945, they remained. The basement held police holding cells, alongside the Ratskeller.
Until the mid-1950s, the Rathaus Johannisthal continued to serve various functions. It was a municipal building with the Ratskeller. After that, the building’s use changed again.
From the mid-1950s until 1990, the Volkspolizei-Inspektion occupied the Rathaus. This was alongside departments of the Ministry for State Security. After German reunification, the police moved. They relocated to the former MfS district office.
The Rathaus Johannisthal was renovated for 400,000 marks. It then returned to municipal use. Since then, the upper floor and garden house have housed the Treptow Local History Museum. Other rooms are used by the district office.
In the 1990s, the district cultural and school office was located here. After the merger of Treptow and Köpenick in 2001, the district school office moved. For a time, the management of the district office for social affairs and health was also here.
In January 1993, the Ratskeller reopened after extensive renovations. Until 1990, it had been used exclusively for police holding cells. The separate entrance staircase to the street had even been bricked up.
For Johannisthal’s 250th anniversary in 2003, the Rathaus clock was restored. Citizens raised funds and provided volunteer work. Peter Trappen, a Berlin art and coppersmith, carried out the restoration in 2001/02.
Before the Rathaus Johannisthal’s 100th anniversary, the building underwent extensive renovations. The destroyed roof turret and the balcony were not rebuilt due to costs. The attic was converted into office space. The reopening took place in October 2006.
Today, the Rathaus Johannisthal is accessible. An elevator provides barrier-free access. It serves as a socio-cultural center. It houses the local history museum, a senior citizens’ recreation center, and event spaces. Plans to establish a library here were dropped. The central Treptow library opened in Niederschöneweide instead. The Rathaus Johannisthal is more than just a building. It is a landmark with a multifaceted past that reflects the history of Johannisthal itself.