The Senate of the Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg meets once a week in the Council Chamber (Ratsstube). On the entrance door the letters SPQH inspired by ancient Rome, here it stands for: »SENATUS POPOLUSQUE HAMBURGENSIS« which means: »Senate and People of Hamburg«. They say there are no windows in the hall not to distract Senate members at work. That is why there is a glass roof for natural lighting, which should probably also symbolize that above the Senate there is only heaven, only God.
At the end of the hall you can see the green velvet canopy under which the first and second mayors of the Senate meetings are seated.
The armchairs are splendidly decorated with the Hamburg coat of arms. I have to keep reminding myself that work is really still going on here and that we are not looking at a museum.
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