In Town Hall Square on November 4, 2003, Riga regained its Town Hall. The restored building was opened by President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga and Riga City Council chairman Gundars Bojārs; the builders presented a symbolic key, and in the council chamber deputies signed a pledge of conscience. The old Town Hall had been lost during the Second World War, so this was not merely a new address for municipal government—it was the return of the city’s historic center to everyday civic administration.
The history of Riga’s council and Town Hall reaches back to the 13th century, but in the postwar cityscape the site of the old building remained a rupture for decades. The rebuilding of Town Hall Square in the 1990s and early 2000s, together with the House of the Blackheads, became a visible sign that independent Latvia was recovering not only institutions but also the memory-space of the city.
Related events
- 1921On November 4, 1921, parliament approved the law on the Culture Fund. Its resources were meant for science, art, and education—including grants, prizes, and scholarships.
- 1942On November 4, 1942, Svetlana Bless-Puķe was born in Rainfelde village in Omsk Oblast. After returning to Riga, she became a vivid actress of Valmiera Theatre and the Latvian National Theatre.
- 2014On November 4, 2014, the 12th Saeima confirmed the mandates of all 100 deputies at its first sitting. Before the vote, the deputies gave the solemn oath and certified it with their signatures.