20 Peace Monuments at City Halls
May 15, 1648 - Friedenssall / Peace Hall, Rathaus / City Hall, Osnabrück, Lower Saxony (Germany). This room and a similar room in Münster became "unintentional monuments" with the signing of the Peace of Westphalia ending the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) in the Holy Roman Empire and the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) between Spain and the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands after the first modern diplomatic congress -- thereby initiating a new political order in central Europe based upon the concept of a sovereign state governed by a sovereign. The Osnabrück City Hall was built from 1487 to 1512 in late Gothic style. It is one of the major landmarks and influential buildings in the city of Osnabrück and is still used as a city hall building.
1648 - "Peace of Münster," British Museum, London (England). "View of the square in front of Antwerp Town Hall, with crowds gathered to listen to the proclamation. Etching by the Czech-English artist & printmaker Wenceslaus Hollar [1607-1777], 220 mm x 338 mm. "The Peace of Münster was a treaty between the Dutch Republic & Spain signed in 1648. It was a landmark treaty for the Dutch republic & one of the key events in Dutch history. With it, the United Netherlands finally became independent from the Spanish Crown. The treaty was a part of the Peace of Westphalia which ended both the Thirty Years' War & the Eighty Years' War."
1901 - Statue of William Penn, City Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA). 1"1.3-m (37 ft), 27-ton bronze statue of Quaker and Philadelphia founder William Penn [1644-1718]. One of 250 sculptures created by Alexander Milne Calder [1846-1923] that adorn the building inside and out. The statue is the tallest atop any building in the world." City Hall is the world's tallest masonry building.
July 30, 1929 - Statue of Romulus & Remus, City Hall, Rome, Georgia (USA). "On a base of white marble from Tate, Georgia, with a brass plaque inscribed: 'This statue of the Capitoline Wolf, as a forecast of prosperity and glory, has been sent from Ancient Rome to New Rome during the consulship of Benito Mussolini in the year 1929." In 1940, anti-Italian sentiment due to World War II became so strong that the Rome city commission moved the statue into storage to prevent vandalism and replaced it with an American flag. In 1952, the statue was restored to its former location in front of City Hall.'" Information courtesy of George & Renae Stone.
July 1932 - "Frontiers Unfettered by Any Frowning Fortress," City Hall, 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, New York (USA). East mural in lobby of Buffalo's gigantic 32-story city hall. By New York City artist William de Leftwich Dodge [1867-1935]. "Depicts Buffalo as an international gateway to Canada. The border of the mural consists of ears of corn & two doves symbolizing peace. The central figure of a woman, Buffalo as the Angel of Peace, holds a warrior under each arm, uniting them with her grasp. One warrior represents the US & the other represents Canada, each clutching their respective flags." Second image shows ceiling with the mural at one end.
"On the right Canada is represented by an offering of furs & fisheries. Some details: * Mother with her son who is clutching a book and pointing him toward the United States as the land of opportunity and youth. * Fur trapper, wearing fringed buckskin pants and moccasins, with snow shoe carrying trapped animals. * Man carrying basket of fish. * Native in canoe loaded with green branches * Background: A Canadian city (Fort Erie?) & the Peace Bridge."
Information courtesy of Dave Granville 03July2016.
1936 - "Vision of Peace," Memorial Concouse, St. Paul City Hall, St. Paul, Minnesota (USA). Largest carved onyx figure in the world. Weighs 60 tons & oscillates 66 degrees left & right. Although dedicated in 1936 to the war veterans of Ramsey County, pacifist sculptor Carl Milles [1875-1955] sipulated that it should symbolize world peace. Officially named "Vision of Peace" in 1994. Milles also created "God the Father of the Rainbow" in Stockholm, Sweden (qv). Entry #542 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).
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L1942 - Artist Hugo Ballin [1879-1956] paints "The Four Freedoms" mural in the Council Chamber of the City Hall of Burbank, California. "The 11 feet by 22 feet mural was inspired by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1941 "Four Freedoms" speech given at the signing of the Atlantic Charter [sic] and was in place when the City Hall building was dedicated February 12, 1943. It is one of Ballin’s masterworks. In a letter to Burbank city officials, Ballin noted 'the mission of a mural is to enhance the architecture and to give a harmonious unity to the room in which it is placed. The painter must take into consideration a design which best fits the requirements. Scale, light and color are all equally important and a painter who knows mural painting gives these things paramount consideration.'"
1950 - Rådhuset / Oslo City Hall, Rådhusplassen 1, Oslo (Norway). Used since its construction in 1950 for the annual award of the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10. Left image shows the award ceremony in 2010.
May 1989 - Peace Memorial Statue, City Hall (lower lobby), Burlington, Ontario (Canada). "Nagasaki-born Seibo Kitamura [1884-1987], a famous Japanese sculptor, sculpted this bronze statue for Burlington from Mayor Keizo Kurihara of Itabashi (Japan) on the occasion of a twin city agreement in May 1989. By creating international relationships through twinning, the Japanese hope to promote world peace... The sculptor’s words explain the symbolism: "The right hand implies the atomic bombing, the left hand suggests desire for the world peace, and the face prays the bombing victims' souls may rest in peace."
December 7, 1990 - Nagasaki Peace Bell, Honolulu Hale (City Hall), Honolulu, Hawaii (USA). Western style bell. Photo shows release of doves in mourning for loss of life due to the collision of the submarine USS Greenville with the Japanese fishing boat Ehime Maru on February 9, 2001.
Date? - Peace City Monument, City Hall, Surigao (Philippines). "A symbol that Surigao is one of the peaceful city and one of the most livable city in the Philippines." From a letter by PP Geoffrey B.W.Little JP.PHF, RC North Sydney Sunrise D9680, Dean of the Ambassadorial Chair, Rotary District Peace Communities Programme (RDPCP), 19 Sep 2007: "Dear CP Don, You might be aware there is a wonderful Rotary Peace City Monument in front of City Hall in Surigao, just up the road from you. They declared along with Butuan a number of years back. Congratulations on your efforts and I hope to come and visit you in my capacity as the Dean of the Ambassadorial Chair of the Rotary Peace City Project aka the Rotary District Peace Communities Programme..."
July 20, 2003 - Peace Scupture (Greenham March Statue), City Hall, Cardiff (Wales). By Anton Agius [1956-2008] of Malta. Inscriptions: Her soul ignited goodness on our nuclear land; The burning bush of her sacrifice and faith will never be extinguished." -- Vernon Jones. Also "She will keep alive the memory of this womens action for peace which started from Cardiff in 1981 and went around the world." One of 13 sites on the MAW Peace Map of the British Isles as of January 2009. Click here to see article which accompanies the far right image.
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