Built by Antonis van Opbergen in 1587–95, the Old Town Hall in Gdańsk is an
outstanding example of Dutch Mannerist architecture. It is a compact, plain
building with no distinctive ornamentation, and is equipped with a defence
tower. The stone doorway was probably made by Willem van der Meer. Beneath each
bracket are two distorted masks personifying vice, and two smiling, chubby
masks, personifying virtue. Within the town hall, the painting, sculpture and
furniture are very interesting, although little is left of the original
decorative scheme of 1595. Of particular interest is the painted ceiling in one
of the rooms which is by Hermann Hahn, a 17th-century Pomeranian artist. It was
removed from a house at Ulica Długa 39 and transferred to the Old Town Hall some
time after 1900. The theme of the ceiling paintings is allegorical: the central
one depicts The Lord’s Blessing  and a figure of Zygmunt III
Vasa also appears.