Bremen City Hall (German: Bremer Rathaus) is the home of the President of the Senate and Mayor of Bremen, Germany. It is one of the most important examples of Brick Gothic and Weser Renaissance architecture in Europe. Since 1973, the building has been protected as a historical site. In July 2004, the building was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list along with the Bremen Roland statue. This recognition was given because of its special architecture and its role in showing how cities in the Holy Roman Empire gained more independence.

Location and description

The city hall is located on the northeastern side of the market square in the historic city center. Facing it is the statue of Roland. Across the square, on the opposite side, stands the ancient guildhall, named Schütting, which still serves as the seat of the board of commerce. On the southeastern side of the square is the seat of the Bremen state parliament, called the Bürgerschaft. East of both buildings, the town hall and parliament, along with the Bremen Cathedral, are located. Near the northern corner of the town hall, there is a sculpture of the Town Musicians of Bremen, created by Gerhard Marcks. North of this sculpture is the Church of Our Dear Lady, also known as "Kirche Unser Lieben Frauen" or "Liebfrauenkirche."

The old town hall, originally built in the 15th century, is a rectangular, two-story building measuring 41.5 by 15.8 meters. The ground floor includes one large hall with oak pillars, which was historically used for merchants and theater performances. The upper floor contained the main festivity hall.

History

Bremen's original town hall was located at the southern end of the block between Liebfrauenkirchhof ("Our Dear Lady's Churchyard"), Obernstraße ("Highstreet"), and Sögestraße ("Pigstreet"). In 1229, it was called "domus theatralis" ("show house"), and from 1251 onward, it was referred to as "domus consularis" ("councilors' house"). An arch over Sögestraße and repairs by a mason suggest the building was made of stone. Since it existed before the Gothic style became popular, it was likely built in the Romanesque style. It is believed that before Bremen gained independence, the building was used as a law court and had at least one open hall, as old Saxon laws required trials to take place in open spaces. Exact details about the building are not known, but documents mention cloth shops nearby. These documents describe the town hall and office as being located "sub" ("below"), which could mean either "in the hall below" or "in front of the basement." Two texts also mention a stair or staircase at Liebfrauenkirchhof.

After the newer town hall was built, the older building was rented to the grocers' guild and later used as a storage place for goods. In 1598, it was sold to two individuals who converted it into private homes.

Around 1400, when Bremen was growing rapidly, a new town hall was planned and built. Key figures involved were burgomaster Johann Hemeling and councilmen Friedrich Wagner and Hinrich von der Trupe. The location and design of the new building showed Bremen's confidence and independence from the archbishop. The Bremen Market Square, which had been completed a century earlier, was now dominated by the town hall rather than by the cathedral or the archbishop's palace. The two halls of the town hall—the upper and lower halls—were slightly longer and wider than the great hall of the archbishop's palace. Like the palace, the entrances to the town hall were placed on the sides rather than facing the square. The Ratskeller, a basement area, was located beneath the halls.

With the construction of the new town hall, the first Roland sculpture was placed in front of it. At that time, the sculpture was smaller than it is today.

The Gothic-style town hall was decorated with 16 large sculptures showing emperors, prince-electors, and four ancient philosophers. This decoration showed Bremen's claim to be an imperial city. The building was also fortified with two wall-walks: one above the gallery facing the market square and another around the gutters of the hip-roof. Four small towers with staircases connected the upper hall to the upper wall-walk. The gallery on the ground floor, which faced the market square, was not used for merchants during the first centuries. Instead, it was reserved for trials.

On the rear side of the Gothic town hall, there was an extension. The upper floor of this extension contained the room for the city council, called the Altes Wittheits-Stube ("Old Council Chamber"). West of this room, there was an outer staircase connecting Our Dear Lady's Churchyard to the upper hall.

After the Rebellion of the 104 Men in 1432, the outer staircase was removed. By the end of the 15th century, an office was built below the old Wittheits-Stube.

From 1545 to 1550, an extension with three floors was added between the town hall and the archbishop's palace. This extension featured a Renaissance-style gable facing the cathedral.

At the end of the 16th century, Bremen experienced a second period of growth, and the town hall was renovated. The main artist was the architect and mason Lüder von Bentheim. The modernization happened in two stages: first, from 1595 to 1596, the ten windows of the upper hall facing the market square were changed from pointed arches to large rectangular windows. About twelve years later, from 1608 to 1612, a major transformation to the Weser Renaissance style began. This included replacing the two middle windows and the proclamation door with a large avant-corps made of slim pillars, columns, and large windows. A decorated gable in Flemish Renaissance style was added on top, with two similar gables beside it. Reliefs decorated the facade, and many architectural elements were inspired by Dutch Renaissance masters like Hans Vredeman de Vries, Hendrik Goltzius, and Jacob Floris. Decorative balustrades were also added.

Soon after these renovations, Germany was affected by the Thirty Years' War, and after the Peace of Westphalia, Bremen had to defend itself against Swedish forces.

In 1682/83, the office on the rear side of the town hall was expanded in a Baroque style, featuring horizontal rows of windows that became common two centuries later.

With the German mediatization in 1803, the neighboring archbishop's palace, which had been extraterritorial, became a municipal property. It was temporarily used for offices. In 1818/19, it was partially dismantled and rebuilt as the Neoclassical "Stadthaus" (municipal office building). In 1826, dangerous damage to the town hall and its extensions was discovered. Repairs were made, preserving the market front's appearance but replacing the eastern Renaissance facade with a simpler one and losing the unique design of the rear side.

From 1820 to 1900, Bremen's population grew significantly. Around the turn of the 20th century, the Wilhelminian era favored grand displays of power, leading to plans to expand the town hall. In 1909, the Stadthaus was demolished to build the new town hall on its site. During this work, many Gothic artifacts were discovered, more than historians had expected. The "Neues Rathaus" ("New Town Hall") was completed in 1913, with an extension about twice as large as the original building. The Munich architect Gabriel von Seidl designed the addition to avoid overshadowing the older structure. However, the three Neo-Renaissance facades of the new building are a late example of Historism. The fourth facade, facing the Church of Our Lady and adjacent to the Baroque extension, has Art Nouveau elements.

During World War II, Bremen's town hall survived air raids with little damage due to the boarding up of outer walls and the efforts of the fire brigade. Though more than 60% of the city was destroyed, the town hall remained largely intact.

Usage

• As previously noted, the office of the Burgomaster of Bremen is located in the New Town Hall.
• The Bremer Schaffermahlzeit, a traditional annual banquet for the captains, takes place in the banquet hall of the New Town Hall.
• Many ceremonial events occur in the upper hall of the Old Town Hall.
• The lower hall of the historical building is often used for exhibitions.

Main sights

• The Upper Hall (Obere Rathaushalle). This room is still used as Bremen’s official meeting place.
• The Golden Chamber (Güldenkammer). This small room was added to the Upper Hall in 1608. It was redecorated in 1905 by Heinrich Vogeler in a style called Art Nouveau. All details, such as door handles, fireguards, chandeliers, and gold-covered leather wallpaper (cuir de Cordoue), were chosen to match this style.
• The Lower Hall (Untere Rathaushalle). This room has kept its original, simple design. Unlike the Upper Hall, it has a stone floor, visible wooden beams, and whitewashed walls. In the past, it was used as a marketplace for delicate items like spices and fabrics. Today, it is used for exhibitions.
• The Bremer Ratskeller is a public room in the basement. It is home to the oldest wine barrel in Germany, created in 1653.

• The banquet hall
• The fireplace room
• The Gobelin room
• The Senate Hall

Gallery

• Roland sculpture
• Heralds located on the south-east side
• Area near Bremen's Town Hall
• Upper Hall
• Upper Hall, which includes a former archive (located upstairs) and the Güldenkammer
• Upper Hall, depicting Charlemagne and Bishop Ansgar, painted in 1532
• Lower Hall
• Ratskeller
• Fireplace located in the New Town Hall