Bremen

I

Introduction

Bremen, state in north-west Germany, bounded on the north, east, and south by the state of Lower Saxony, and on the west by the North Sea. It consists of the capital city of Bremen and the port of Bremerhaven. The state’s area is 404 sq km (156 sq mi).

II

Physical Geography

The smallest state of Germany in terms of area and population, Bremen is an enclave within Lower Saxony. Apart from a narrow strip of land opposite the city of Bremen, it lies along the eastern bank of the River Weser. It comprises the port cities of Bremen (on the Weser delta) and Bremerhaven (on the North Sea), about 57 km (35 mi) apart; the cities are divided by a 60-km (37-mi) strip of land belonging to Lower Saxony.

Bremen consists mainly of lowlands. The Altstadt (Old Town) of Bremen city grew on a sand dune located above the flood level on the Weser River. The dune is about 40 km (25 mi) long and 3.5 km (2 mi) wide, and reaches the height of about 15 m (49 ft) above the moors and marshland of the Bremer Becken (lowlands). The area is drained through the extensive use of complex dyke systems. Bremerhaven was founded in 1827, about 57 km (35 mi) to the north, as a result of the lower reaches of the Weser silting up. Numerous satellite settlements have developed in the vicinity of the two cities. There are 17 protected natural areas within the state.

III

Population

The state of Bremen has a population of 663,000 (2004 estimate), with a population density of 1,640 people per sq km (4,248 per sq mi) in 2004. The population is highly urbanized. Bremen is the capital city of the state and has a population of 545,900 (2005 estimate). Bremerhaven is the other major city and has a population of 117,300 (2005 estimate). A sharp population decline at the end of World War II was followed by a period of growth and reconstruction. Today, Bremen is one of the most demographically stable states in Germany.

IV

Education and Culture

Bremen University was founded in 1970 and provides courses for about 18,000 students. The city of Bremen is also the seat of the College of Applied Sciences, an art college, College of Public Administration, and a private International University; there is also a college in Bremerhaven. Attached to Bremen University are a number of research institutes, mostly specializing in science and technology, including the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research; the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology; the Bremen Institute of Applied Beam Technology; the Centre for Tropical Marine Ecology; and the Bremen Centre for Applied Space Technology and Microgravitation. Other important research facilities include the Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine and the Centre for European Legal Policy. The state library and state archive are located in Bremen, as is the Library for Sea Transport Management and Logistics.

More than 20 museums are situated in the state, including the Focke Museum, Art Gallery, Übersee Museum, Neues Museum Weserburg, and the Bremen Museum of Art and Cultural History, all in the capital; and the German Maritime Museum at Bremerhaven. Theatres include the Goethe Theatre and the Bremen Shakespeare Company. The music scene in Bremen is lively and varied, with Bremen Music Festival taking place each summer and with the State Philharmonic Orchestra and the German Chamber Philharmonic performing in the modern concert hall, popularly known as the “Glocke”. Bremen has many parks and gardens, including the Bürgerpark with its famous rhododendron collection. Tourist attractions include the Universum Science Centre and Space Park Bremen, an indoor theme park. In the marketplace at the heart of the city, the 15th-century town hall (Rathaus), together with the Statue of Roland (built in 1404), was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

People born in or associated with the state include doctor and astronomer Heinrich Olbers; composer Paul Dessau; writer Carl Almqvist; director Douglas Sirk; ethnologist Adolf Bastian; and chemist Adolf Butenandt.