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Market Square and Old City Hall
The square was built in the 14 th century as a trading center. The market fountain dates from 1546,
and in 1780 some alterations were made. To the south of the market square the old city hall can be
found. It was built in 1598 according to plans drawn by Wustmann. Of all the city offices only the
registrar´s office is still located there. On the ground floor you can find the “Ratskeller” with its
home-brewed beer. Transport link: many busses and tram lines via "Schloss" or “Luisenplatz”.
Old “Pädagog”
The former Latin school, built in 1628 by S. von Müller, prepared the rising generation of the
“Obergrafschaft” (county) Hessen-Darmstadt for the state university at Gießen. The ground floor of
the “Pädagog” used to house the classrooms, the auditorium, a music room, and a library.
Since the reconstruction after World War II there has been a vine cellar in the basement and the
rooms upstairs are used by the “Volkshochschule” (adult education center) and by other schools.
Transport link: Bus K and tram lines 2, 3, 9 via "Schulstraße".
Old City Wall and White Tower**
The city wall, with only a few remains left today, was built after Darmstadt acquired city rights in
1330. A landmark of the inner city is the White Tower, a former corner tower that in 1708 was built
to the present height and covered with a baroque roof. (� see p.4 Museums "Altstadt-Museum")
“Herrngarten” and “Prinz-Georg-Garten”
Laid out at the end of the 16th century and changed into an English landscape garden by Great
Countess Caroline in 1766. Vicinal, in the northeast, there is a charming rococo park, the “Prinz-
Georg-Garten”. It was laid out in 1764 in geometrical shapes. Fountains and sundials have been
placed at the intersections of the garden paths. The Prettlack garden house, designed in 1720 by
Rémy de la Fosse, accommodates today a free library. The Prinz-Georg-Palais (1710), with its
porcelain collection, is located in the north. Transport link: many busses and tram lines via "Willy-
Brandt-Platz" or “Luisenplatz”.
Old State Theater (now House of History - Hessian State Archives and City Archives)
The former court theater was built in 1819 according to drafts by Georg Moller. Its design was
exemplary, and with 2000 seats, it was one of the largest theaters at that time. During World War
II, the building was destroyed leaving only the external walls. After a long period of reconstruction
the “Mollerbau” (Moller building) was inaugurated in 1994 as an archive for the State of Hessen,
and for Darmstadt. Transport link: many busses and tram lines via "Schloss" or “Luisenplatz”.
“Technische Universität” and Auditorium Maximum
The Technical University (TU), established in 1836, today houses about 20,000 students and 360
professors who are engaged in teaching and research in 21 different fields of study. The center of
the complex is the administration building, with the “Auditorium Maximum” and other lecture halls
seating up to 800 students. The old machine shop on the Magdalen-straße, built by Professor
Wickop in the early 1870s, combines elements of the Art Nouveau style with those of the German
“Gründerzeit”. In 1963 a lack of room in the city center led to an extension of the TU at the
“Lichtwiese” on the southeastern city-border. Prizes for exemplary design were awarded for two
buildings, and for the students´ dining hall. Transport link: many busses and tram lines via
"Schloss" or “Luisenplatz” or busses F and H via "Alexanderstraße".
“Sankt-Ludwigs-Kirche”
The church was built in 1827 by Georg Moller according to the plans of the Pantheon in Rome. The
proportions, however, are a fifth smaller than those of the Roman Pantheon. Inside the church 28
Corinthian columns, each 15 meters high, carry a 33-meter-wide dome with a single window at its
highest point – the only window in the church. The obelisk was dedicated to Queen Victoria´s
daughter, Grand Duchess Alice. The church was restored in 2005. Transport link: Bus K and tram
lines 2, 3, 9 via "Schulstraße".
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