Rathaus Köpenick

Around Berlin


With its frilly turrets, soaring tower and stepped gable, Köpenick's town hall exudes fairy-tale charm but is actually more famous for an incident that happened back in 1906. An unemployed cobbler named Wilhelm Voigt, costumed as an army captain, marched upon the town hall, arrested the mayor, confiscated the city coffers and disappeared with the loot. Although quickly caught, Voigt became a celebrity for his chutzpah. A bronze statue and an exhibit recall the story, which is re-enacted every summer.


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