Town Hall of Benfeld
The Town hall of Benfeld is a Renaissance city hall in Benfeld, a small town of the Bas-Rhin department of France. It is classified as a Monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture since 1929, in particular because of its 17th-century automaton clock.History and description
Also known as Laube, the city hall's core building was the place where the Schultheiß passed judgment. This part of the town hall is built in the traditional timber framing style of Alsace, with the conspicuous arcades at the ground floor. In 1619, a clock tower featuring an ornate main portal and three jacquemarts was added by Ascagne Albertini, lord of Ichtratzheim, bailiff of Benfeld, and military engineer. The three statues are the work of the Strasbourg sculptor Johann Fröbe; they are made of oak and represent Prudence, Death, and Justice. The three clock faces indicate the Paris time, the Strasbourg time and the lunar phases. Those two latter faces were added in 1856 by master clockmaker Jean-Baptiste Schwilgué.Gallery
