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This is one of the oldest municipal buildings in Germany. The Court Pergola (German: Gerichtslaube) was part of the old Berlin City Hall, built in 1270. It served for meetings of senate and city council and mainly for meetings of the public jury. Most verdicts were immediately executed, which is why the pillar in the center is also called the "death column".
After serving as city hall and courthouse for 600 years, the building was removed in 1871 to make way for the new "Red City Hall." It was moved to Potsdam as a gift to German emperor William I who had it rebuilt next to his Babelsberg Palace. It still remains there today, being the only original gothic building in Potsdam.
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