Bremen was strongly influenced by the Weser River and the shipping trade associated with it. In 787, Emperor Charlemagne elevated Bremen to a bishopric. Emperor Frederick Barbarossa granted the city its charter in 1186, thereby placing Bremen under imperial law. In 1260, Bremen joined the Hanseatic League and experienced an economic boom thanks to free trade. In 1404, the people of Bremen erected the statue of Roland, and the town hall in 1409. Their economic importance enabled them to free themselves from the secular influence of the church and the bishops.
Historic ships still lie on the banks of the Weser, also known as Schlachte, as a reminder of this important period in the city’s history. Magnificent sailing ships weighing 400 kg also hang from the ceiling of the town hall, as we see later on a guided tour.
The Balge, a tributary of the Weser, ran close to the market and along Langestraße. It was the first port of Bremen.
The Schlachte was originally the port for larger ships, where merchant ships docked and were loaded and unloaded. Today, the riverside promenade, running parallel to the Schlachte River, is a popular destination. In the warmer months, the Schlachte offers several beer gardens and guest gardens, providing a pleasant setting for a get-together.
Along Faulenstraße, Brillen, Hutfilterstraße, Obernstraße, and Ansgaritorstraße, you will reach Besselei in Hanseatenhof. Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (1784–1846) was an important astronomer. He calculated the shape and circumference of the Earth so accurately that his results remained one of the foundations of geodetic cartography well into the 20th century. In 1838, he also succeeded in calculating the parallax of a fixed star for the first time. Passing through the Lloyd Passage, we now reach the market square.
We still have some time to look at the surrounding buildings on the market square and around the cathedral before taking part in a guided tour of the town hall.
From the upper-floor lobby, you can access the mayor’s and state council offices, the upper town hall, and the ballroom. Whale jawbones are used as lamps here.
The upper town hall is the most magnificently designed. Huge Orlog ships, which are warships that accompany merchant ships, hang from the ceiling.
On the long side is an artistically designed structure that conceals the Golden Room.
During his presentation, the city hall guide asked if anyone from abroad was present. When he heard that I was from Austria, he shared that at the end of the second Turkish siege in 1683, the Viennese found coffee in the remains of the Turkish camp, which they were unfamiliar with. There was already a coffee house in Bremen at that time. This seems to be true. By the beginning of the 17th century, coffee had already spread to several port cities, including Venice, London, Amsterdam, Marseille, Hamburg, and Bremen.
The empire was weakened at that time by religious wars, the Thirty Years’ War, and the 1679 plague epidemic.
The Ottomans had already taken over most of Hungary and destroyed many places from Hainburg to Vienna, killing the population. Only 11,000 soldiers and 5,000 civilians faced approximately 120,000 Ottomans. Under Pope Innocent XI, a relief army was formed from imperial, Venetian, and Polish troops. Large sums of money were made available to the Poles for this purpose. When Vienna had only 4,000 men left, the relief army under Polish leadership arrived at the last minute and succeeded in driving out the Turks. So while the people of Bremen sat comfortably in their coffee houses, many Viennese lost their lives, partly because they wanted to protect Europe from an Ottoman invasion.
At the end of the tour, the town hall guide mentioned that a famous citizen of Bremen is buried opposite the cathedral. Adolph Knigge wrote his work because the people of Bremen were so well-mannered. I couldn’t resist remarking that Knigge wrote his work because the people of Bremen had no manners. Other tour participants had to smile.
Knigge’s best-known work is “On Human Relations.” Knigge was a sociologist and did not write a guide to etiquette. In one of his novels, he mocked the elites as “the most miserable court sycophants” and “court rabble.”
Apart from a few of these comments, a visit to Bremen City Hall is highly recommended.
Afterwards, we visit the cathedral.
We have booked a guided tour of the town hall cellar for the late afternoon. Before purchasing tickets, we inquired about filming. ‘Yes, of course’, was the answer. However, when we arrived at the cellar, the guide told us that filming was not allowed.
The cellar is not particularly impressive. There are many bottles and barrels stored in a small space. The treasure chamber certainly contains some very expensive wines.
However, it does not look like a fermentation cellar. It is used for bottling and distribution. We already visited some more interesting wine cellars in Austria, such as the Loisium Weinwelt in Langenlois and the wine cellars in Retz. In Paarl, the KWV Wine Emporium, South Africa’s largest cooperative, is also well worth a visit.
The visit ends with two small rooms containing wooden barrels. A burning candle stands on each barrel. At the end of the room stands a barrel from 1653.
Only select guests, such as Queen Elizabeth, are given the privilege of drinking from it. I can’t help but wonder if we’re supposed to worship it. Upon inquiry, we were told that the barrel is refilled periodically. At the end of our visit, we ate at the Rathauskeller restaurant. There are beautifully designed wine barrels there, and the food is excellent. Robots take care of clearing away the dishes.
The next day, we crossed through the Schnoor district and walked along the wall. To our left are the Wilhelm Wagenfeld House, a museum featuring the designer’s work, and the Gerhard Marcks House, which features the artist’s contemporary sculptures, prints, and drawings. Directly after that is the theater on Goetheplatz. Along Ostertorsteinweg is the nightlife district with numerous restaurants and cafés.
On the way back, we pass the Bridge of Sighs and the buildings of the public prosecutor’s office and the regional court. On Lange Street, we saw the Stadtwaage (City Scale), a cultural center where all goods had to be publicly weighed in the Middle Ages.
On our last evening in Bremen, we dined at Gasthof zum Kaiser Friedrich, where we had reserved a table the previous day. The food and service were both excellent.
Text, photos and video: Copyright © myVideoMedia