It is topped by a clock and two buff sentries modelled after the St Mark's Clocktower in Venice.

[2] In the 1926 architectural competition organized by Bankhaus Kroch together with the Leipzig City Council, the architect German Bestelmeyer (1874–1942) took one of the two second places.

The outstanding feature of the high-rise and thus the landmark of Augustusplatz is the striking mechanism on the roof, which consists of three bells.

Below this is the display of the moon phases flanked by two relief depictions of lions, which take up the entire front section of the 12th floor.

In 1938 the Kroch High-rise was taken over by the Industrial and Commercial Bank, (Industrie- und Handelsbank, state-owned in East Germany) and later it was used by various economic, scientific and social institutions.