 It replaced several individual buildings dating from the Middle Ages and now occupies an entire city block.The building was heavily damaged by Allied bombing in World War II and rebuilt to the original plans between 1951 and 1956.The "Neues Stadthaus", which survived the bombing and had formerly been the head office of Berlin's municipal fire insurance "Feuersozietät" in Parochialstraße served as the temporary city hall for the post-war city government for all the sectors of Berlin until September 1948.