Town Hall De Paauw

Renovation and Restoration of De Paauw Town Hall

De Paauw Town Hall, once the summer residence of Prince Frederik, has been the administrative and social heart of Wassenaar for over 100 years. It is a place where residents get married, the city council meets, and where people work every day. The interior of the town hall has several defects typical of historic buildings. The municipality is now moving forward with the necessary renovation of De Paauw to prevent further deterioration. The town hall will be transformed into a future-proof, functional, and welcoming administrative center.

To facilitate this extensive and meticulous renovation, municipal employees will relocate from De Paauw City Hall to the municipal office at 45 Johan de Wittstraat effective May 1, 2026. This also applies to the Mayor and Aldermen and the Municipal Clerk’s Office. From that date on, all daily operations will take place there, and the municipal office will serve as the central point of contact for residents seeking municipal services. During the renovation period, the municipal council will hold its meetings at the police station in Wassenaar. The municipal council will meet one last time at Raadhuis De Paauw on May 12; thereafter, starting with the committee meetings on May 18, all meetings will take place at the new location.

Planning renovation and restoration Council House De Paauw

Background on Renovation and Restoration

In 2019, a participatory process with local residents and residents of Wassenaar explored a number of options for sustainable operation. Partly on this basis, the municipal council decided in May 2020 that De Paauw would remain in the ownership of the Wassenaar municipality. On behalf of the council, the possibilities for turning De Paauw into a fully-fledged administrative center were investigated.

After further research, a support measurement among the inhabitants of Wassenaar and discussions with local residents, the council decided in May 2021 to use De Paauw as an administrative center for the council, Municipal Clerk’s Office, college and policy officials. And in doing so to abandon (as previously decided) an expansion to house all civil servants in De Paauw. 

For background information, you can download a cultural-historical overview of the De Paauw building and a study of its interior at the bottom of this webpage.

Exterior restoration

The restoration of the exterior of De Paauw has been completed and the beautiful monument has been restored to its former glory. You can read more about this special restoration at The restoration of Council House De Paauw in Wassenaar: a Prussian summer palace restored to its former glory - sKBL.