Recorded since 1537, the building known as the Council House (as city’s notables would carry out their activity here) was located on the site of the former town hall.
Throughout history, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The first reconstruction took place in 1650 in Renaissance style, on its frontispiece there are placed the seven royal blazons of the free cities in Transylvania. Alongside these, there were carved over 50 maxims and proverbs in Latin, forming a code of civil behavior. The building also had a bell tower, signaling public executions.
After two devastating fires (in 1775 and 1798), the municipality decided to build a new building, much roomier. For this purpose, they leased the land where the Unitarian church and the parsonage were located. They were demolished in 1842 along with the remains of the old building, the bricks recovered being used alongside the stone in the enclosure wall of the city to build the new building of the council as it is today. On the frontispiece of the building there was placed the city emblem and the patio was decorated with the blazons of the noble families in Cluj and the princes of Transylvania; these blazons have been subsequently moved to the Museum of History of Transylvania.
The construction of the new headquarters of the local council was started in 1843 with the direct support of the population – some being financially involved, but the majority had effectively worked here.
The building was put into operation on September 16th 1845 when it was consecrated during a festive liturgy service where attended the most important people in the city. Among the mayors who lived here, over time, with a remarkable influence on the public life of the city, we would mention: Haller Károly (1884 – 1886), Albach Géza (1886 – 1898), Haller Gusztáv (1913 – 1918) and Iulian Pop, the first Romanian mayor of the municipality.
Text preluat de pe visitclujnapoca.ro.
