The Bremen Town Hall an Artistic Masterpiece, a Tapestry in Stone, Nificant
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The Golden Chamber The Festival Hall Senate Chamber Underground delicacies For all to see – a force in the world Cherished like treasure Old and new – of a piece The Town Hall, unpretentious in its simplicity, served its pur- A much-admired and treasured jewel of the Town Hall is a small room The Council needed space. In the early 20th century, it became neces- Adjacent to the Festival Hall is the somewhat poses well for 200 years. Yet the City Council called the Guldenkammer, or Golden Chamber. sary to add an annex to the Town Hall. Extending smaller Kaminsaal, or Fireplace Salon. The room decided to give it an impressive new façade that This was added and integrated into the Upper onto a historical building of such importance has style, thanks to the warm, dark brown par- would show to all that the Council was powerful Hall, and is protected like a treasure. The with the necessary ‘tactful restraint’ was a major quet floor, the dark red velvet wall covering and and self-assured. Chamber is richly ornamented on the outside architectural challenge. Gabriel von Seidl, from the white stucco ceiling, and is gladly used for Reconstruction in 1612 produced one of Europe’s with splendid wood carvings and paintings. Munich, mastered that challenge and skilfullly smaller celebrations and official receptions. most beautiful Renaissance façades. The middle The interior is a Jugendstil gesamtkunstwerk. succeeded in combining the old with the new. Large oil paintings stand out from the red walls. portion of the old façade was torn down and The mediaeval hall retained its dominance, while Like many artefacts in the New Town Hall, the replaced by a magnificent bay window crowned Heinrich Vogeler, the Worpwede artist, was com- the new building blended harmoniously and fireplace itself – made of French marble and by a five-layered Flanders gable. missioned in 1905 to beautify this somewhat unprotrusively with the old. decorated with Delft tiles – was a gift from The opulent and imaginative front side of the unseemly room. He chose a red and gold wall citizens. ‘I show you freedom’ Town Hall, visible from the marketplace, was covering of finest leather and added a wealth of The new Festsaal, or Festival Hall, was created in designed by Lüder von Bentheim, the sculptor. ornamentation to every element, however insig- the process and emanates its own, incomparable The Gobelinzimmer, or Tapestry Room, next door The Bremen Town Hall An artistic masterpiece, a tapestry in stone, nificant. Door panels, lampshades, fireplace charm. High panels in dark oak lend elegance to has an intimate, almost merry atmosphere, It is not far from the treasures on the upper floor to the under- Roland statues, symbols of market and commercial rights, UNESCO Wor ld Heritage it contains stirring images reflecting political screens and door handles were transformed into the room, and a large painting by Carl Vinnen and takes its name from a large tapestry dating ground delicacies in the Ratskeller. Originally can be found in many northern German cities. and religious themes. works of art in their own right. Images of birds showing a 17th-century harbour scene provides a from the 17th century. It is eminently suitable built as foundations for the Gothic town hall, it For experts, Bremen’s Roland statue is the most The richness of figures and images adorning and flowers predominate. maritime touch. An imposing Jugendstil chande- for smaller meetings and consultations, and is now houses an enormous selection of German famous, artistically impressive and beautiful the façade is hard to appreciate with the bare lier hangs from the ceiling. now used for registry marriages as well. wines – around 600 different vintages in total. of these figures, and for that reason was included eye – bizarre scenes from a world alien to us, A beautifully crafted wooden staircase leads to Guests sit at long wooden tables before huge in the World Heritage List… figures with symbolic meanings, as well as the upper storey of the Chamber. Several wood The most important room for present-day poli- and imposing old wine casks. The lucky few are The Roland statue in Bremen is also a symbol reliefs, angels, fabled beasts, flowers, vases and carvers and master carvers worked to create it. tics is the Senatssaal, or Senate Chamber. The taken into the Rosekeller, where one can sniff the of freedom. The words ‘I show you freedom’ are bouquets of fruit – a masterpiece of stonema- Today, it is considered to epitomise the High Senate meets regularly on Tuesdays around the bouquet of centuries-old wines. The oldest is a inscribed on the figure’s shield. The previous sonry. One important figure for Bremen people Baroque period. large, oval table. The patterned silks on the walls Rüdesheimer dating from 1653. wooden statue had been a symbol of civic free- is that of the hen and its chickens above the and the huge carpet with Bremen keys woven dom, and was destroyed in 1366 by order of the second arch of the Town Hall – a reference to a A detail of the leather into it make this a very welcoming room. A bust Archbishop. saga about Bremen’s origins. wall covering reminds us of Wilhelm Kaisen, who was Mayor Roland, with the pointed knees, is Bremen’s The east and west sides with their pointed win- and Senate President in the twenty years follow- symbolic landmark, and always will be. Bremen dows and portals remained in their original form. ing World War Two. people are convinced that, as long as he stands, Wilhelm Kaisen, bronze bust Bremen will be free. in the Senate Chamber Guided tours Bremen’s ‘drawing room’ is the Marktplatz, and its of the Town Hall greatest attraction is the Town Hall. Guided tours of the historic building (in German and English) Bremen Town Hall provide an insight into its fascinating 600-year Lower Hall Upper Hall The Wandelgang history. The tour includes the impressive Upper and Roland Statue Join Town Hall and the splendid Golden Chamber. Since 2004, the Town Hall and the Roland have World Heritage List been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List! All year round, Mondays to Saturdays at 11 a.m., 12 a.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., Sundays at 11 and 12 a.m. (no tours are held when the Senate is meeting, or during other meetings and events). Tickets and information are available from the Tourist Information Office on the Liebfrauenkirchhof, Obernstrasse. Guided tours The Bremen Ratskeller is one of the oldest and of the Ratskeller most famous of its kind in Germany. German In close contact with the past wines have been sold here since 1404, as well as freshly-tapped Bremen beer, of course. The Schatzkammer, the Rosekeller and the On 2 July 2004, UNESCO added the Town Hall and the Roland The ‘justification for inscription’ of the Bremen Town Hall explicitly The Town Hall charms every visitor to the city, and no wonder – Apostelkeller house vintages dating from the statue, two unique symbols of Bremen’s history, highlights ‘the outstanding Late Renaissance this is history close-up. Erected 600 years ago, the 16th and 17th centuries. to the World Heritage List. This is internationally architectural form in northern Germany, the so- building has been preserved almost unchanged – the highest and most coveted distinction that called Weser Renaissance’. even today one can see how the two large Gothic From the end of April to early October, Fridays at 4 p.m., starting at the Booked out History pure can be awarded to a building, an urban district halls, one above the other, were used. The City Tourist Information Office on the Liebfrauen- or a landscape. The Bremen Roland, say the UNESCO experts, Council met here, passed resolutions, waged poli- kirchhof, Obernstrasse. is ‘the most representative and one of the oldest tics and passed laws for the citizens. The Lower Hall impresses with its simplicity of form. Mighty oak A fascinating contrast – the lower storey simple and austere, the Upper The Upper Hall served for centuries as a focal The United Nations’ cultural organisation has Roland statues erected as a symbol of market pillars lend an air of austerity. The only decorative Hall of the Town Hall resplendent in its ‘solemn point of political life. The City Council met here, Bookings and further information can be obtained from the thus acknowledged the outstanding historical, rights and freedom’. This Town Hall stands in a unique way for con- elements are the wonderful portals that were dignity’.40 metres long and 13 metres high, and forging political decisions for the welfare of Tourist Office on the Liebfrauenkirchhof, Obern- political and artistic importance of the Town Hall tinuity, as the seat of government and public later added. Covered, protected against rain and decorated with works of art and rarities, it is the city, and passing jurisdiction. Impressive wall strasse, at the main railway station, by telephone and the Roland statue. ‘The ensemble of the Town Hall and Roland of administration in a city that has always had one cold, this room was once a market hall and considered Bremen’s most beautiful festival hall. paintings, epigrams and figures bear witness under 018 05-10 10 30 (€ 0.12 per minute), or on Bremen is directly associated with the develop- thing in mind – to preserve and defend its inde- meeting place for farmers, traders and wandering Four magnificent men-o’-war models hang from to these past uses. the Internet at www.bremen-tourismus.de. ment of the ideas of civic autonomy and market pendence and self-governance as a city-republic.