Bremen Market Place
Bremen, Germany's oldest
coastal city, once a small fishing settlement, is now second only to
Hamburg among the country's ports. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, its Marktplatz (market place) is home to significant buildings
dating back to the thirteenth century.
Bremen, the 'ancient town by
the grey river', was once known as the 'Rome of the north'. During the
Middle Ages, it was one of the strongest members of the Hanseatic League,
and in 1646 it became a free imperial city.
The town center is protected
by a 9-m (30-ft) statue known as Roland, bearing the 'sword of justice'
and a shield decorated with an imperial eagle. It is believed that as
long as the statue stands in the market place, Bremen will survive as a
free city. To this end, when the area was under attach during World War
II, great measures were taken to preserve the statue.
The Town Hall (Rathaus),
looming above the market place, was developed during the Holy Roman
Empire in the early fifteenth century. Built in the Gothic style, the
building was renovated in the local 'Weser Renaissance' style in the
early seventeenth century.
Across the square from the
Rathaus stands the Schotting, a sixteenth-century guildhall, a mixture of
Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles. In contrast to, but also
complementing, this ancient masterpiece is the home to Bremen's
parliament, the Haus der Burgerschaft, a 1966 modern structure of glass,
concrete and steel.
The Bottcherstrasse, running
from Marktplatz to the Weser River, is a brick reproduction of a medieval
alley, which has boutiques, cafes, a museum and art galleries. Designed
to present a picture of life in Bremen life from the past and present, it
was dedicated in 1926 and rebuilt after World War II. Kunstsammlungen
Bottcherstrasse consists of two adjoining buildings: the Roselius-Haus, a
sixteenth-century merchant's home with a collection of medieval objets
d'art and furniture; and the Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum, dedicated to
Bremen's outstanding artist and containing many of her best paintings,
drawings and prints. The two upper floors also contain the works of the
sculptor, painter, and architect Bernhard Hoetger.
When you visit Bremen, you can
wonder along the river banks through the brick-paved streets, visit the
ancient market place with its magnificent buildings.
