Fancy stepping back to a time when Görlitz prepared for war? The Technisches Rathaus Jägerkaserne stands before you. It whispers tales of soldiers and a city on alert.
The Jägerkaserne, now the Technisches Rathaus, wasn’t always a municipal office. Once, Prussian soldiers resided here. They had previously lodged with Görlitz families. The city constructed the Jägerkaserne around 1854 to 1858. This housed the 1st Silesian Jäger-Battalion No. 6. The city wanted to compensate for the dismantling of the old medieval town fortifications.
Look at the building’s layout. Notice the shape resembling a Roman Castrum. Four mighty corner towers punctuate each corner. Two more towers flank the entrance. These dominate the over 100-meter-long facade. Irregular rubble makes up the facade. Windows, cornices, and crenellations consist of brick.
Until 1840 parts of Görlitz’s fortifications stood here. These included the Bauzwinger. Also the ditch and the traffic circle on the Halterberg. The Jägerkaserne sits on this hill.
Before its military days ended in 1945, the Jägerkaserne accommodated various military units stationed in Görlitz.
After the war, refugees from areas east of the Lusatian Neisse found shelter here. Later, it became a residential complex until reunification. In 1990, the city began renovating the building. It transformed the Jägerkaserne into a modern office complex. Today, it serves as the Technisches Rathaus, housing the city’s technical services.
From August 1, 2008, the Jägerkaserne even served as the seat of the district of Görlitz. This lasted until the new district office was completed in the city center in 2013.
During DDR times, the complex was used for housing. After 1990, it was converted into an administrative center. Today it houses offices of the city administration and the district of Görlitz.
The Jägerkaserne’s address is Hugo-Keller-Straße 14. It sits on the Halterberg above the Nikolaivorstadt. On the building’s west side, the Grüne Graben and Hugo-Keller-Straße intersect.
As you leave, remember the Jägerkaserne’s story. From military base to administrative hub it has transformed. It remains a solid part of Görlitz.