Bremen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bremen Breem / Bräm  (Low German)
Clockwise from top: Bremen Market Square; houses on the market square and Bremen Roland Statue; Bremen City Hall; Bremen Cathedral; Town Musicians of Bremen Statue; Schnoor scenery; and Schütting Building
Flag Coat of arms
Country	Germany
State	Bremen
Area
• Metro	11,627 km2 (4,489 sq mi)
Elevation	12 m (39 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)
• City	569,396
• Metro	2,800,000
Demonym(s)	Bremer (m), Bremerin (f)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	28001–28779
Dialling codes	0421
Vehicle registration	HB (with 1 to 2 letters and 1 to 4 digits)
Website	Bremen online

Bremen (also called Breem or Bräm in Low German) is an important city in Germany. It is the capital of the German state called the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. This state is unique because it's made up of two cities: Bremen and Bremerhaven.

With about 570,000 people, Bremen is the 11th largest city in Germany. It's also the second largest city in Northern Germany, after Hamburg. Bremen is known as a "Hanseatic city" because it was once a powerful member of the Hanseatic League, a group of trading cities in the Middle Ages.

The city is located on the River Weser, which is the longest river that flows entirely within Germany. Bremen is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) upstream from where the river meets the North Sea. It is surrounded by the state of Lower Saxony.

Bremen is a big center for business and industry. Its port, along with the port of Bremerhaven, is the second largest in Germany, after Hamburg. Bremen's airport is also one of the busiest in Germany.

The city is famous for its culture and economy. You can find many historical galleries and museums here. The Bremen City Hall and the Bremen Roland statue are so special that they are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Bremen is also well-known from the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale "Town Musicians of Bremen". There's even a statue of the famous animal musicians in front of the city hall!

Bremen is home to many international companies, including chocolate makers like Hachez. It's also where the Bundesliga football club SV Werder Bremen plays at the Weserstadion.

History of Bremen

A 16th-century view of Bremen.

For most of its 1,200-year history, Bremen was an independent city. It was part of the Holy Roman Empire, but it largely governed itself. Merchants and guilds (groups of skilled workers) in Bremen were key players in the Hanseatic League. This league aimed to control trade in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

To stay independent, Bremen had to deal with powerful groups. Before the Reformation, it faced challenges from the Church. After the Thirty Years' War, it had to deal with Sweden, which controlled the area around Bremen. In 1720, King George I of Great Britain, who also ruled Hanover, recognized Bremen as a free city.

However, Bremen lost its independence for a short time. It was taken over by France in 1806 and then officially joined France in 1810. But in 1815, it became independent again. In 1871, Bremen became part of the new German Empire.

With its new port in Bremerhaven, Bremen became a main port for people leaving Germany and central Europe to go to the Americas. It was also a hub for Germany's growing trade with its colonies. The Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL), a shipping company started in Bremen in 1857, became one of the world's biggest.

In the 20th century, Bremen, which was known for its liberal and social-democratic ideas, lost its freedom under the Hitler regime. During World War II, parts of the city were used as subcamps for concentration camps. After the war, nearly two-thirds of Bremen was destroyed. But the city's independence was given back, and Bremen became one of the founding states of West Germany.

Geography

View from the Stephanibrücke bridge towards Bremen's city center and cathedral.

Bremen is located on both sides of the River Weser. It's about 60 kilometers (37 miles) upstream from where the river flows into the North Sea. The river in Bremen is deep enough for large ships to travel.

The city's area is about 38 kilometers (24 miles) long and 16 kilometers (10 miles) wide. This makes Bremen the eleventh largest city in Germany by area. It's also the second largest city in northwest Germany by population, after Hamburg.

Bremen is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of Oldenburg and 110 kilometers (68 miles) southwest of Hamburg. A small part of Bremerhaven's port actually belongs to the City of Bremen, even though it's separate.

Hills of Bremen

The inner city of Bremen is built on a sand dune near the Weser River. The highest natural point in the city is 32.5 meters (107 feet) above sea level. This is in Friedehorst Park in the northwest part of Bremen. Because of this, Bremen has the lowest highest point of all the German states.

Climate

Bremen has a mild oceanic climate. This means it's not too hot or too cold, thanks to its closeness to the North Sea. Winds from the Atlantic Ocean bring mild, moist air. Sometimes, continental air can cause hot summers or long frosty winters, but extreme temperatures are rare.

The warmest months are June, July, and August, with average high temperatures between 20.2°C and 22.6°C (68.4°F and 72.7°F). The coldest months are December, January, and February, with average low temperatures around -1.1°C to 0.3°C (30.0°F to 32.5°F).

Rainfall is spread fairly evenly throughout the year. Snowfall can vary a lot from year to year. Winters can be quite cloudy.

Population

Bremen's economy grew a lot in the 1950s and 60s, a time known as the "economic miracle" (Wirtschaftswunder). This led to many people from other countries, especially from Turkey and southern Europe, moving to Bremen to work.

More recently, people have moved to Bremen from countries like Poland and Bulgaria after they joined the European Union. Since 2015, refugees from places like Syria have also settled in the city.

Today, Bremen has a population of about 567,000 people. It is the 11th largest city in Germany. About one-third of the total population has a non-German background.

Here are some of the largest groups of people from other countries living in Bremen (as of December 31, 2022):

Rank	Nationality	Population (31.12.2022)
1	Turkey	22,860
2	Syria	17,345
3	Ukraine	5,370
4	Bulgaria	9,325
5	Poland	9,455
6	Afghanistan	4,215
7	Russia	3,420
8	Romania	4,240
9	Ghana	3,170
10	Serbia	3,535
11	Nigeria	2,350
12	Iran	2,460
13	Albania	2,420
14	Portugal	2,835
15	Italy	2,470

Main Sights

Many of Bremen's famous sights are in the Altstadt (Old Town). This area is shaped like an oval, with the Weser River on one side and old moats (called Wallgraben) on the other. The oldest part of the Altstadt starts at the Marktplatz and goes to the Schnoor quarter.

Marktplatz and Nearby Buildings

The Marktplatz (Market Square) is dominated by the beautiful Town Hall of Bremen. This building was first built in a Gothic style between 1405 and 1410. Its fancy front (façade) was added later, between 1609 and 1612, in a Renaissance style. The Town Hall is where the city's government meets. In 2004, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Bremen Roland statue.

Two important statues stand next to the Town Hall:

• The Bremen Roland (1404) is a statue of Roland, the city's protector. He faces the Cathedral and holds a sword and a shield with an imperial eagle.
• Near the entrance to the Ratskeller (a restaurant in the Town Hall basement) is a bronze statue (1953) of the Town Musicians of Bremen. This statue shows the donkey, dog, cat, and rooster from the famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale.

Other interesting buildings around the Marktplatz include:

• The Schütting, a 16th-century guild hall inspired by Flemish design.
• The Stadtwaage, a former weigh house built in 1588, with a decorative Renaissance front.
• The Essighaus, once a beautiful Renaissance town house.

These buildings around the market square were among the first in Bremen to be rebuilt by citizens after World War II.

Churches and Unique Streets

• St Peter's Cathedral (13th century) is east of the Marktplatz. It has sculptures of important figures like Moses and David. Outside the cathedral, you can see the Bismarck Monument.
• The Liebfrauenkirche (Our Lady's Church) is the oldest church in Bremen, dating back to the 11th century. Its underground area (crypt) has impressive paintings from the 14th century.
• The Böttcherstraße is a 110-meter (120-yard) long street that was transformed between 1923 and 1931. A coffee businessman, Ludwig Roselius, hired artists to turn this narrow medieval street into a mix of Gothic and Art Nouveau styles. It's now one of Bremen's most popular attractions. The Glockenspiel House on this street has a carillon (a set of bells) made of Meissen porcelain.
• At the end of Böttcherstraße, near the Weser River, is the Martinikirche (St Martin's Church). This Gothic brick church was built in 1229 and rebuilt after World War II.

Quarters and Parks

• The Schnoor is a small, well-preserved area between the Cathedral and the river. It has winding lanes and old fishermen's and shipper's houses from the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, it's full of cafés, artisan shops, and art galleries.
• Schlachte was Bremen's medieval harbor. Now, it's a riverside area with pubs and bars along the Weser.
• The Viertel district, east of the old town, has rows of 19th-century Bremen houses. It also has museums and theaters along the city's cultural mile.
• Knoops Park is a large green space in the city. Many locals enjoy visiting it, especially when the weather is warm. You can even rent small rowboats in the park.
• The Nasir Moschee is the first mosque built specifically for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Bremen.

Modern Attractions

• Universum Science Center, a modern science museum.
• The Rhododendron-Park Bremen, a large collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, which also includes a botanical garden.
• Botanika, a nature museum inside the Rhododendron-Park Bremen, focusing on biology.
• Beck's Brewery, where you can take tours and try beer.
• The Kunsthalle Bremen, an art museum with paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Focke Museum, a museum about art and cultural history.
• The Übersee Museum Bremen (Overseas (World) Museum), a natural history and ethnographic museum near the Central Station.
• The Kunstsammlungen Böttcherstraße, an art museum with expressionist architecture and paintings from the 20th century.
• The Weserburg Museum für moderne Kunst ("Weserburg Modern Art Museum"), a modern art museum located in the middle of the Weser River.

Structures

The Fallturm (Drop Tower) at the University of Bremen.

Bremen has some interesting structures:

• Mediumwave transmitter Bremen
• Fallturm Bremen (Drop Tower), used for experiments in near weightlessness.
• Bremen-Walle Telecommunication Tower

The Freie Waldorfschule in Bremen-Sebaldsbrück was Germany's first school built to the Passivhaus (passive house) low-energy building standard. This means it uses very little energy for heating and cooling.

Economy

Bremen is an important economic center in Germany. In 2013, its economic output per person was higher than the average for Germany.

Bremen is a key location for Airbus SAS, a major aircraft manufacturer. Here, they equip the wing parts for large Airbus planes and make small metal parts. They also assemble landing flaps for planes like the Airbus A380. The pre-final assembly of the body section for the Airbus A400M military transport aircraft also happens here. More than 3,100 people work at Airbus Bremen.

MZH building, part of the University of Bremen campus.

Bremen is also home to a factory for Mercedes-Benz, where they build several car models like the C, CLK, SL, SLK, and GLK series.

The famous Beck's and St Pauli Girl beers are brewed in Bremen. Many food companies also have their German or European headquarters here, including Kellogg's, Kraft Foods (known for Jacobs Coffee and Milka Chocolate), Frosta (frozen food), and Hachez (fine chocolate).

Transport

Bremen Central Station.

Bremen has an international airport located just 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) south of the city center.

Trams in Bremen and local bus services are provided by the Bremer Straßenbahn AG (BSAG). This company manages public transport in Bremen.

Map of the Bremen S-Bahn, Bremen's local train network.

The Bremen S-Bahn is a train network that connects Bremen with nearby cities and towns. It goes from Bremerhaven in the north to Twistringen in the south, and from Oldenburg in the west. The main hub for these trains is Bremen Central Station. This network started in 2010 and helps people travel easily around the Bremen and Lower Saxony region.

Events

Bremen hosts many exciting events throughout the year:

• The Freimarkt ("Free market") is one of Germany's oldest and largest fairground festivals. It has been held every year since 1036, in the last two weeks of October.
• Bremen is one of the four cities in Germany that hosts a big annual Techno parade, called the Vision Parade.
• The "Bremer 6 Tage Rennen" is a bicycle race held at the Bremen Arena.
• Young musicians from all over the world come to Bremen each year to play in the International Youth Symphony Orchestra of Bremen (IYSOB).
• Bremen was the host city for the 2006 RoboCup competition, where robots compete in different challenges.
• In 2009, Bremen hosted the 32nd Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag, a large gathering for Protestants.
• Bremen also hosted the 50th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in 2009, where talented young mathematicians from around the world competed.
• The famous rock band The Rolling Stones named one of their live albums "Bridges to Bremen" because it was recorded in Bremen in 1998.

Sports

Weserstadion is the home ground of Werder Bremen.

Bremen is home to the football team Werder Bremen. They are a very successful team, having won the German Football Championship four times and the German Football Cup six times. Their home stadium is the Weserstadion, which is a football-only stadium. It is special because it is almost completely covered in solar cells, making it one of Europe's largest buildings that produces alternative energy.

Education

Bremen has several important universities and research centers:

• The University of Bremen is the largest university in the city, with 18,000 students. It also hosts the international Goethe-Institut and the Fallturm Bremen (Drop Tower).
• Other universities include the University of the Arts Bremen and the Bremen University of Applied Sciences.
• In 2001, the private Jacobs University Bremen was founded.

Many major German research foundations have institutes in Bremen, especially focusing on ocean sciences. These include the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology and the Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (zmt). The Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven also works closely with these institutes. The Fraunhofer Society has centers in Bremen for materials research and medical imaging.

Miscellaneous Facts

• Bremen is connected to the famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Town Musicians of Bremen. Interestingly, the animals in the story never actually reach Bremen!
• The 1922 silent film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (a horror film about vampires) was mostly set in Bremen.
• In July 2022, the Japanese music group Yorushika released a song titled Bremen.

Twin Towns – Sister Cities

Bremen has "twin town" or "sister city" relationships with other cities around the world. These partnerships help promote cultural exchange and understanding.