Bremerhaven facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bremerhaven Bremerhoben  (Low German)
Bremerhaven in July 2013
Flag Coat of arms
Country	Germany
State	Bremen
Founded	1827
Elevation	2 m (7 ft)
Population  (2022-12-31)
• Total	115,468
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	27568-27580
Dialling codes	0471
Vehicle registration	HB (with 1 letter and 4 digits)
Website	bremerhaven.de

Bremerhaven (German pronunciation: [ˌbʁeːmɐˈhaːfn̩]; Low German: Bremerhoben) is a city in northern Germany. It sits on the east bank of the Weser river, where it meets the North Sea. The city is a special part of the state of Bremen, even though it's not directly connected to the main city of Bremen. The River Geeste also flows through Bremerhaven.

Bremerhaven was started in 1827 to be a seaport for the city of Bremen. It is still one of Germany's busiest ports today. Long ago, another town called Geestemünde was a rival. Geestemünde later joined with Lehe to form Wesermünde in 1924. Bremerhaven became part of Wesermünde in 1939. But after World War II, the whole area became part of Bremen again in 1947.

History of Bremerhaven

City founder Johann Smidt

The Bürgermeister-Smidt-Gedächtniskirche

Bremerhaven was founded in 1827. But some nearby villages like Lehe were around much earlier, even in the 12th century. The city of Bremen gained control over the lower Weser river in 1381. This included the area that would become Bremerhaven.

In 1653, Swedish troops took over Bremerlehe. The Holy Roman Emperor ordered Sweden to give it back to Bremen. This led to a short war. After the war, Bremen had to give Bremerlehe to Sweden. Sweden then planned to build a strong town there. This is where Bremerhaven stands today. In 1672, people tried to build a castle called Carlsburg. It was meant to protect ships going to Bremen.

Finally, in 1827, the city of Bremen bought the land at the Weser's mouth. This was done by Bürgermeister Johann Smidt. Bremen needed a new port because its old one was getting too shallow. Bremerhaven means "Bremen's Harbour." It became Bremen's second port, even though it was about 50 kilometers downstream. The port and town grew quickly because of trade and people moving to North America. In 1848, Bremerhaven became the main port for Germany's first navy.

The Kingdom of Hanover started a rival town called Geestemünde in 1845. Both towns grew, focusing on trade, shipbuilding, and fishing. Over time, Bremerhaven's borders grew bigger. In 1924, Geestemünde and Lehe joined to form Wesermünde. In 1939, Bremerhaven (except for its main port) became part of Wesermünde.

Bremerhaven was a very important port for people leaving Europe to start new lives.

During World War II, Bremerhaven was a key naval base. About 79% of the city was destroyed by bombs. But the Allies carefully saved parts of the port. This was so they could use it to bring in supplies after the war. After the war, the whole Wesermünde area was controlled by the United States. In 1947, the city became part of the state of Bremen. It was then renamed Bremerhaven. Today, Bremerhaven is its own city. But it is also part of the state of Bremen, which is like a state made of two cities.

Bremerhaven's Busy Port

The port of Bremerhaven is one of the biggest container ports in the world. It is the fourth largest in Europe. In 2015, it handled 5.5 million containers. The container terminal is right on the Weser river, leading to the North Sea.

More than 2 million cars are brought in or sent out each year. In 2014, this number was 2.3 million cars. Bremerhaven handles more cars than any other city in Europe. The port also handles over a million tons of large goods using special "roll-on/roll-off" ships. In 2011, a new, very large lock was built. It replaced an older one from 1897.

• 

  An aerial view of Bremerhaven

• 

  A map showing the harbors of Bremerhaven

• 

  The Weser river flows past Bremen to Bremerhaven

• 

  The skyline of the Havenwelten area

• 

  The overseas port of Bremerhaven

• 

  The MSC Venezuela ship at Bremerhaven's container port

• 

  Locks and docks around the Lloyd Werft shipyard

• 

  Bremerhaven is on the east bank of the Weser river

Weather in Bremerhaven

Bremerhaven has a mild ocean climate. Very cold winters or very hot summers are rare. The city gets about 751 millimeters of rain each year. Most rain falls in the summer months. Snow can fall in winter and early spring. But it usually does not stay on the ground for long. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 35.9°C in July 2022. The coldest was -18.6°C in February 1956.

Getting Around Bremerhaven

Road map of Bremerhaven and the port of Bremen

Roads

Bremerhaven is connected to Germany's main highway system, the autobahn. The A 27 runs north to south, linking Bremerhaven to Bremen and Cuxhaven. However, road connections to Hamburg are not as good. Trucks often use smaller roads. A new highway, the A 22, is planned to improve connections to Hamburg and other cities. Roads leading to the port are often very busy with freight traffic.

Trains

Bus in Bremerhaven, Final stop Tiroler Str.

Timetable Tram 1911

Bremerhaven has three active train stations for passengers. These are Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof, Bremerhaven-Lehe, and Bremerhaven-Wulsdorf. All three stations have hourly trains. These trains connect to cities like Cuxhaven and Buxtehude. Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof also has longer-distance trains to Hanover and Osnabrück. The city got its long-distance train service back in late 2021. Besides passengers, trains in Bremerhaven carry a lot of cargo. This includes new cars, containers, and food for the seaport.

Buses

In 2020, Bremerhaven had a bus network with 19 routes. These buses are run by BREMERHAVEN BUS. Two of the routes are night buses that only run on weekends. There is also a faster express bus line. Many regional buses also leave from Bremerhaven Central Station. These go to nearby towns like Bad Bederkesa and Nordholz. You can also find long-distance buses like Flixbus here.

Trams

Bremerhaven used to have a tram service. It ran from 1881 until 1982. At its busiest in 1949, there were six tram lines. The last tram line closed down on July 30, 1982.

Fun Things to See in Bremerhaven

Panoramic view of Bremerhaven from Bremerhaven Radar Tower. On the left side the city including Columbus-Center are some tourist attractions and the de:Havenwelten just under construction.

The Wilhelm Bauer at the German Maritime Museum

Bremerhaven does not have many old buildings. The main street and city center were mostly rebuilt after the war. The best places for tourists are in the Havenwelten area.

Here are some cool places to visit:

• The Klimahaus Bremerhaven 8° Ost [de]: This is an attraction about climate change. It lets you experience different climates from around the world.
• The German Emigration Center: Opened in 2005, this museum tells the story of people who left Germany from Bremerhaven.
• The German Maritime Museum: This museum, designed by Hans Scharoun, opened in 1975. It has a very old ship called the Hansekogge from 1380.
• The historical harbor (Museumshafen): Here you can see old museum ships. One is the Wilhelm Bauer, a Type XXI U-boat that is now a museum itself. Another is the salvage tug Seefalke from 1924.
• The Bremerhaven Zoo: This zoo reopened in 2004 after being renovated. It has animals from the Arctic, both on land and in the sea.
• The Fischereihafen (fishing port): This area in Geestemünde has an aquarium called the Atlanticum.
• The Lloyd Werft shipyard: This place is famous for building and fixing large cruise ships.

Every five years, Bremerhaven hosts Sail Bremerhaven. This is a huge event where tall ships from all over the world gather. The last one was in 2015, with over 270 ships.

The Columbuskaje is a passenger terminal built in 1927. It is now a cruise terminal. There are also three marinas for smaller boats.

Population of Bremerhaven

Foreign residents
Nationality	Population (31.12.2019)
Syria	3,975
Turkey	3,110
Bulgaria	2,410
Poland	2,290
Portugal	1,485
Romania	1,240
Russia	765
Serbia	570
Greece	525
Kosovo	420

Sports in Bremerhaven

Bremerhaven Dance Team

Bremerhaven has several sports teams:

• The Fischtown Pinguins are a professional ice hockey team. They play in the DEL, Germany's top ice hockey league.
• The Eisbären Bremerhaven (Polar Bears) are a basketball team. They play in Germany's second-tier league, ProA.
• The Bremerhaven Seahawks are an American Football team. They play in the German Regio Nord league. They are one of the oldest teams in Germany.
• Local association football (soccer) clubs include Leher TS and SFL Bremerhaven.

Research and Learning

Bremerhaven is home to important research centers:

• The Alfred Wegener Institute studies the oceans and climate. It has research ships, including the icebreaker RV Polarstern. It also runs a research station in the Antarctic.
• The Fraunhofer Society has labs in Bremerhaven. They work on developing and testing parts for wind power.
• The German Maritime Museum is part of the German Leibniz Association.
• The Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences [de] was founded in 1975. It has over 3,000 students, including many from other countries. They offer courses in engineering, information technology, and business.

Bremerhaven's Sister Cities

Memorial to emigrants from Germany in Bremerhaven harbour

Bremerhaven is twinned with several cities around the world:

Three roads connecting Bremerhaven to the A 27 are named after the first three sister cities:

• Cherbourger Straße
• Grimsbystraße
• Poristraße

Other streets are also named after sister cities like Szczecin and Kaliningrad.

Famous People from Bremerhaven

Gottfried Semper

Norman Paech, 2010

Corinna Harney, 2011

Many notable people have connections to Bremerhaven:

• Gottfried Semper (1803–1879), a famous architect.
• Adolf Butenandt (1903–1995), a biochemist who won the Nobel Prize.
• Lale Andersen (1905–1972), a singer and actress known for the song "Lili Marleen".
• Norman Paech (born 1938), a university professor and politician.
• Heino Ferch (born 1963), a well-known actor.
• Corinna Harney (born 1972), a model and actress.

Sports Stars

Felix Magath, 2011

• Felix Magath (born 1953), a famous football (soccer) player and coach. He played many games for Germany.
• Tomas Seyler (born 1974), a darts player.
• Clemens Schoppenhauer (born 1992), a footballer.

See also

In Spanish: Bremerhaven para niños