 The town centre is still surrounded by a largely intact town wall. Right in the middle the town hall is situated, built in 1558 and decorated with a step gable. Its arcades of pointed arches at the street façade used to be salesrooms in former times. Later they were bricked up and today accommodate the tourist office. The assembly hall in the upper floor is a simple but impressive room with deep window recesses and marquetry wall panels. The spacious hallway – also called “Bürgersaal” (‘Citizens’ Hall’) - is decorated with massive beams and a wooden-beamed ceiling. It is also used for wine tastings, receptions, and events. In the foyer of the city hall, art exhibitions are presented during the summer months. Even the former jail served for artistic purposes in the past. Irmingard von Freyberg (deceased in 1985), an artist from Sommerhausen, exhibited ceramic works and silhouettes here. |
Diagonally opposite the town hall is a fountain. Its statue of an armoured knight - called “Ritter Jörg” – embodies the right to hold markets that was given to Sommerhausen long ago.
 The Protestant parish church, called “Bartholomäuskirche”, stands beside the town hall. First mentioned in 1341, it was altered from 1666-1672. In 1739, the nave collapsed and was rebuilt in 1740. The steeple from the 13th century stands sideways and was enlarged by the upper floors and the stairway in 1596. It remained intact when the church collapsed. It is interesting that the steeple is not owned by the church but by the town. Inside the church, the pulpit immediately catches the eye. A richly carved Renaissance superstructure dates from 1620 and was enlarged in the 18th century. A commemorative plaque reminds of the former pastor Carl Heinrich Caspari (1815-1861), who contributed much to Sommerhausen’s reputation by his book “Der Schulmeister und sein Sohn” (‘The Schoolmaster and his Son’).
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