The building at Neuer Wall 86 in Hamburg, constructed in the elegant, classical baroque style, is known in Hamburg by the names "Görtz-Palais", "Petersen-Haus" or "Altes Stadthaus", behind this is the vivid history of this building.

Building work on the Neuer Wall took place at the beginning of the 18th century. One of the first buildings to be constructed there around 1710/11 was the palace of von Görtz, the Baron of Schlitz, chief minister and right-hand man of King Karl XII. of Sweden. His successors leased the building in 1722 to the Hanseatic city, which bought the building in 1726 and placed it at the disposal of the imperial legates. After the closure of the legation in 1806 the building was again entirely at the city`s disposal. During the French occupation it became the "hotel de ville", serving as the seat of the mayor appointed by the French.

After Hamburg had been liberated from the occupying forces, the building was used by the police authorities and, already before the destruction of Hamburg's townhall during the great fire of 1842, its capacious representation premises were used for official city events and functions. It remained the police headquarter until it was bombed in the summer of 1943. In 1953 Germanischer Lloyd bought the plot from the city of Hamburg and reconstructed the building to an office building, i.e. including its listed facade. Today the building is owned by an insurance company.

The law firm Dr. Weiland and Partners and its affiliated companies are using the "Görtz-Palais" since 1980.