Rathausplätze als Arenen urbaner Selbstverständigung: Einführung

Abstract

The thematic issue on town hall squares as focal points of urban self-understanding is based on the assumption that political, social and cultural practices and hierarchies are not spread out evenly across the city but condense and intensify at certain locations. One of those locations is the open space in front of many town halls. Town hall forecourts have been the scene of official rallies, demonstrations, commemorations, and celebrations. They are also being used as venues for commercial activities and they offer leisure and sightseeing opportunities. As "hearts of the city," they are representative locations of image and memory policy as well as fields of action for various actors. While the central character of town hall squares dates back to pre-modern times, the contributions of this issue focus on configurations and adaptations of use over time in European and non-European cities in the 19th and 20th century. Also addressed is the competition of places in social practice and collective memory, not the least in the context of national versus local events.