The Gemeentehuis (house of the municipality) or raadhuis (house of the council) is the town hall. In civil registration records, you will often encounter the gemeentehuis as the place where births, marriages and deaths were recorded. Civil marriages often take place at town hall. It also houses the offices of the mayor, municipal council and municipal clerks.
Gemeentehuizen were originally found in the center of the town. In the 1900s, when bureaucracy increased, many places had larger town halls built on the outskirts of town. The original buildings often survive. Some of them still have a municipal function, while others are now in use as a restaurant or a museum.
Town hall of Ooltgensplaat, built in 1616. Credits: Rijksdienst Cultureel Erfgoed (CC-BY-SA)
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