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10 reasons to love Bremen
A stroke of luck
“The Town Musicians of Bremen,” based on a folktale recorded by the Brothers Grimm, made the Hanseatic city famous. The story features four unloved animals leaving their homes to seek fortune in Bremen. Local legend says touching the front legs of the donkey on the statue brings good fortune. The 1953 bronze statue on the market square depicts story’s characters: a donkey, dog, cat and rooster.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
The city’s guardian
The statue of Roland has stood on the market square in Bremen since 1404. It depicts a real knight who was a paladin of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. According to legend, Bremen will remain free and independent as long as Roland stands watch over the city. Along with the historic town hall, the Roland statue is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
The winning formula
The former Schütting guild house on the market square has served Bremen’s merchants and traders for nearly 600 years. In 1899, the Low German inscription “buten un binnen wagen un winnen” – or “outside and in, risk it and win” – was added as a motto to the building’s portal, meaning that merchants from Bremen are called upon to risk their assets at home and abroad in order to gain fortune.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
Under full sails
The Weser River is Bremen’s connection to the sea. It leads to Bremerhaven some 60 kilometers down river. Onboard their Hanseatic cog, square rig sailing boats, traders brought in raw materials from northern Europe and also sold fabrics and ironware. In the Middle Ages, 70 large cities, including Bremen, and more than 100 smaller towns formed the Hanseatic League.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
A key factor
Architectural artists in the 17th century created countless figures and reliefs in sandstone to decorate the Weser Renaissance-style city hall’s facade. It’s here that you find the Bremen Key, which was added as symbol to the city’s coat of arms. When neighboring Hamburg claimed to be the gate to the world, the people of Bremen tend to reply: that may be, but we still hold the key to it.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
Women finally at the table
Every year 100 ships’ captains, 100 merchants and 100 guests gather at Bremen Town Hall for the traditional “Schaffermahlzeit” banquet. It was introduced in 1545 as a fraternity dinner to bring together the city’s captains, ship owners and merchants. On February 13, 2015, for the first time ever, women were invited as equals to the table, thereby ending Germany’s oldest male domain.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
All safe at sea
Some 150 years ago, a shipwreck moved a teacher from Bremen so much that he founded the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service DGzRS. Thanks to generous donations, the life savers are on call 24-hours a day and can launch a rapid deployment in any weather with their 60 lifeboats in the North and Baltic seas.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
Anchors aweigh!
Bremerhaven’s commercial seaport at the mouth of the Weser River on the North Sea is one of the largest container ports in Europe. It annually handles some 50 million tons of cargo. Continuing its tradition as a port for passenger ships, Bremerhaven has recently created the Columbus Cruise Center. This is also home to the “Atlantic Hotel Sail City,” which resembles a giant sail in the skyline.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
Off to new shores
The German Emigration Center in Bremerhaven breathes tales of farewell and departure. This is where more than 7 million people boarded ships bound for the new world in the 19th and 20th centuries. Comprehensive data banks help North and South Americans in particular trace their ancestors’ histories.
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10 reasons to love Bremen
Climate adventure
Bremerhaven’s harbor district has a glittery highlight: The Klimahaus. The building in the form of a stylized ship is encased by more than 4,000 panes of glass. Visitors go on a trip around the world following the 8th degree of longitude, past glaciers, through desert sands and tropical rainforests to the Antarctic. The implications climate change has for nature and mankind are evident.
Author: Ille Simon
After Berlin and Hamburg, Bremen is the third and smallest city-state in Germany. This northern German federal state unites the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven. More than 670,000 people live here. Bremerhaven, on the North Sea, is known mainly as a modern port for cruise liners. Bremen lies farther inland, and with its historic brick buildings, still preserves the spirit it had as a Hanseatic city on the Weser River.
Bremen, home to UNESCO World Heritage sites
Bremen’s town hall and the Roland statue on the market square have both been UNESCO World Heritage sites since 2004. More than 600 years of Hanseatic history have generated not only distinctive architectural styles, but also countless legends. Check-in host Nicole Frölich took a look around the Hanseatic city before the coronavirus crisis.
Schnoor, the old town district
Bremen’s oldest district, the Schnoor quarter, is full of narrow lanes and historically listed buildings. Schnoor is Low German for Schnur, which means string. In the past, ropes and cables for ships were made in the quarter: Nowadays charming shops invite you to browse.
Böttcherstrasse, an architectural gem
The renowned ensemble of brick buildings on Bremen’s Böttcherstrasse is an architectural gem. Built in expressionist style, the buildings were deplored by the Nazis and a large proportion of them were destroyed by aerial bombing in 1944. Ten years later, the facades were largely restored to their original state.
What do Bremen, Hamburg and Lüneburg have in common? In the Middle Ages, the cities were part of the Hanseatic League of merchants and cities. This union was rich and powerful — which is still evident in the cities today.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Bremen
Rich traders from Bremen shipped their goods via the River Weser into the North Sea and from there sent them around the world. The market square particularly reflects the self-confidence of the medieval citizens of Bremen. The ornate town hall (left building in photo) and the Roland Statue have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Hamburg
From the 13th to the 15th century the Hanseatic League dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe. Hamburg joined the trade alliance in 1321. The port existed even back then. These days Hamburg Port is hugely popular with tourists. A million visitors come to celebrate the port’s anniversary at the beginning of May alone.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Lübeck
Lübeck was the richest town in the Hanseatic city alliance. Known as the “Queen of the Hanseatic League,” it governed the league for many years. The old town center has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Some 200 cities along the North and Baltic Sea coasts and inland formed the Hanseatic League. The European Hansemuseum in Lübeck records the rise and fall of this trade association.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Rostock
At the time of the Hanseatic League, Rostock was one of the most important goods handling centers on the Baltic Sea, earning it the name of “Gateway to Scandinavia.” Every summer the city hosts a large maritime festival known as the Hanse Sail. About 250 traditional sailing ships of all shapes and sizes enter the city port of Rostock, where visitors can board and view them.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Stralsund
Stralsund on the Baltic Sea shows what Hanseatic cities looked at the height of the League in the 14th century. The basic design of the medieval town center has remained largely unchanged. The modern Oceanographic museum, “Ozeaneum” (above white), was constructed between the old harbor warehouses. Here visitors can dive into the underwater worlds of the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Polar Sea.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Wismar
Wismar’s calling card is its red brick architecture, a style of building that can only be found in northern Germany. Great non-religious buildings, such as storehouses, but also mighty churches were built in the characteristic style of Brick Gothic. The old town center of Wismar was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Lüneburg
The Hanseatic town of Lüneburg on the river Ilmenau was the biggest supplier of salt in northern Germany during the Middle Ages. The salt was mined in Lüneburg and then shipped downriver; the Ilmenau flows into the Elbe, which after a further 100 kilometers enters the North Sea. The German Salt Museum in Lüneburg shows the history of salt extraction and how it influenced the city.
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Germany’s most beautiful Hanseatic cities
Korbach
Korbach, in the center of present-day Germany, is not located on the seacoast or on a river. Nevertheless the town joined the Hanseatic League in 15th century, thanks to its geographically and economically significant location at the crossroads of several important trade routes. Today there are 25 cities in Germany that carry the label “Hanseatic.”
Author: Lina Elter
From Bremerhaven to the world
Excursion boats, cruise liners, container ships: there’s always brisk activity at Bremerhaven’s sea terminals. In the 19th century, this was the gateway to the New World – the largest port for people emigrating from Europe to America. On land, you can easily spend a relaxing day strolling, stopping for a bite to eat and visiting the museums.
Favorite dish with fun factor: “Grünkohl” kale
What asparagus is to the Germans in spring, kale is in winter. In Bremen, this leafy cabbage is a veritable cult. The Kohlfahrt (kale tour) is a much-loved ritual, where people go on hikes together and then meet for a kale meal at the end of the tour. Let us bring you a speciality from Bremen home to you with a recipe to cook for yourself: kale and sausage.
Your trip to Germany
Are you looking for recommendations for your visit to Germany? We’ve got them: Tips for Germany — state by state.
Germany’s 16 states: Bremen
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Pinoy Pop News
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