Stendal town hall is a Brick Gothic building constructed over successive eras and thus its components reflect the use of an eclectic range of styles. The courthouse was built in the 15th century, its Late Gothic arches opening onto the town market; the guardhouse and a side wing also date to this epoch. A cloakroom added in the late 15th century (and today used as a wine cellar) adjoins the courthouse; the main space in this later addition resembles a hall and features two aisles and cross-shaped rib vaulting. The main section of the town hall is basically Late Gothic, although a Renaissance-style facade with interlaced vaulting.
A colossal statue of Roland, who symbolised the freedoms and rights afforded by the medieval city for the urban residents of the Mark of Brandenburg, has stood in front of the Stendal town hall since 1525. The sandstone statue is remarkably large, towering 7.8 metres above street level.
References:House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.