Ratskeller Salzgitter

The Ratskeller Salzgitter on the market square of Salzgitter-Bad is the oldest building in the city that is still in use today. Originally built to protect citizens and as a storage facility for the salt works, it was later used as a town hall and warehouse for the brewery and is now operated as a restaurant and hotel.
The vaults of the ground floor are the oldest components of the Ratskeller. In a document from 1125, there was already talk of a salt place, the construction of which also required a salt store. It is therefore assumed that the Ratskeller was built at this time, i.e. at the beginning of the 12th century. The building was located east of the salt springs of the Salzliebenhalle salt works and was surrounded in the north by the marsh area of the Warne and in the west by the swamp around the salt springs, which made it easy to defend against enemy attacks. Initially, the building was used as a salt store, later it also served as a warehouse for beer brewers, and some rooms were used as a town hall. Since 1854, the Ratskeller has been operated as a restaurant and hotel.

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