For centuries market trading in Leiden has taken place along the banks of the River Rhine. Leiden has never had a true market square. This town hall square is relatively new. Up to 1929 there was a row of houses and shops here.

On 12 February 1929 fire broke out in Leiden town hall. In the icy cold the fire brigade struggled to save the building. In vain. The whole of the medieval complex went up in flames. Only the front facade could be restored.

In 1934 the commission for a new town hall was given to C.J. Blaauw. It was finished in 1948. Great attention was paid to the finishing both outside and inside.
With the new town hall Leiden had its first real square. This important change to the city was not an isolated measure. Leiden was to become a modern city, at the expense of its historic appearance if need be. Thus in 1936 some distance away, on the Aalmarkt, an imposing department store was built. Like the town hall, it has since been designated a monument, making it part of the historic look of the city.