The present Lier Town Hall is the former clothmakers’ hall. In 1740 architect Jan Pieter de Bauerscheit the Younger substantially renovated the building, converting it into Brabant rococo style. It was designed as a large mansion adjacent to the Gothic Belfry. The council chamber is in Louis XV style. Special features worthy of note are the elegant oak spiral staircase, the painted ceiling in the council chamber, the wrought-iron work of art 'Fighting the Dragon' by Louis van Boeckel and a large collection of paintings and antiques.
In 1369 Hendrik Mijs built a Gothic belfry next to the clothmakers' hall. It stands as a symbol of freedom and independance. In the Middle Ages the town’s deeds and freedoms were kept in the belfries, as was the arsenal, and the town council’s assembly room was also to be found there.
Since 1971 the tower has housed a small automatic carillon with 23 bells. Together with 23 other belfries the Lier belfry was recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1999.
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.