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The
 Rote
Rathaus, or red city hall,
obviously got its name from the red
brick that was used to build it. Located close to Alexanderplatz,
it holds the office of the mayor of Berlin (since Berlin
is still not just a city but also a state, the mayor
is called "governing mayor"). During the time
of the GDR, the Rote Rathaus was the seat of the East
Berlin magistrate while the West Berlin mayor resided
in the Schöneberger Rathaus, after the reunification
the mayor of the city moved back into the Rote Rathaus.
The building itself was built to include various styles:
mostly Italian renaissance, whereas the tower resembles
the one of the cathedral in Laon, France. The elaborate
frieze going around the building shows scenes from Berlin
history until 1871.
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