Viertel (literally "quarter") is a centrally located neighborhood in the city of

Bremen, Germany Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

. It lies east of the old town on the border between two different administrative subdistricts: Ostertor and Steintor. Today it is known for its numerous cafés, restaurants, and boutique shops.

History

The neighborhood was developed between the mid-19th century and the 1930s. During this time period, typical Bremen Houses (''Bremer Häuser'') were built in a combination of Neohistoricist, Neoclassical and Art Nouveau styles. Despite the diversity of styles, the architecture nevertheless creates an attractive, harmonious environment. Construction firms designed whole stretches of the streets, interspersing tall, narrow row houses with stately villas. In the mid-20th century, the area around Ostertor fell into a sorry state because there were plans to build an expressway along the Mozartstraße, one of the principal streets in Viertel. After prolonged protests, the plans were eventually abandoned in 1973. With the threat of demolition no longer looming, the old facades were restored, making the district one of Bremen's most presentable and lively neighborhoods. New buildings are now designed so that they match the local color scheme and fit into their historic surroundings.

Landmarks

The Viertel embraces Bremen's cultural mile with the city's main theatre, and three museums. The

Theater am Goetheplatz The , also incorrectly known as the , is the main theatre of the city of Bremen in the north of Germany, the main venue of Theater Bremen. Completed in 1913 in the Neoclassical style, it is located in the cultural district to the east of the old ...

, completed in 1913 in the Neoclassical style, presents productions of musicals, opera and drama as the main venue of

Theater Bremen Theater Bremen (Bremen Theatre) is a state theatre in Bremen, Germany, with four divisions for opera, straight theater, dance, and student programs. Its venues are located in a city block, connected in architecture and seating up to 1,426 spectato ...

. The art museum

Kunsthalle Bremen The Kunsthalle Bremen is an art museum in Bremen, Germany. It is located close to the Bremen Old Town on the "Culture Mile" (german: Kulturmeile). The Kunsthalle was built in 1849, enlarged in 1902 by architect Eduard Gildemeister, and expanded ...

was built in 1849, enlarged in 1902 and further expanded in 2011. It houses European paintings and sculptures from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

to the present day as well as a new media section. The Gerhard Marcks House from 1825 is a museum inspired by the sculptor

Gerhard Marcks Gerhard Marcks (18 February 1889 – 13 November 1981) was a German artist, known primarily as a sculptor, but who is also known for his drawings, woodcuts, lithographs and ceramics. Early life Marcks was born in Berlin, where, at the age of 18, ...

exhibiting contemporary sculpture. Forming a pair with the

Wilhelm Wagenfeld House Wilhelm Wagenfeld House (german: Wilhelm-Wagenfeld-Haus) is a design museum and exhibition centre in Bremen, Germany. Completed in the Neoclassical style in 1828, the building now carries the name of Bremen-born Wilhelm Wagenfeld (1900–1990), ...

standing opposite, it hosts design exhibitions inspired by Wilhelm Wagenfeld, noted for his household object designs. File:Goethetheater Bremen stitched 2009 PD.jpg, Theater am Goetheplatz File:Kunsthalle-HB 20110824 img-01.jpg, Kunsthalle Bremen File:Ostertorwache - Bremen - 1825.jpg, The Gerhard Marcks House paired with the Wilhelm Wagenfeld House File:Bremen Wilhelm Wagenfeld.jpg, Wilhelm Wagenfeld House Another interesting landmark in the area is "Wilhelm Holtorf Kolonialwaren von 1874", an old grocer's shop on Ostertorsteinweg which was renovated in the Art Nouveau style in 1903 and is now a listed building.

The Viertel district today

Today the district is known for its shops, cafés and restaurants. In addition to the cultural mile, locals also appreciate the shopping mile on Ostertorsteinweg stretching from the theatre to St. Jürgen Straße. There are no department stores here, only small shops and boutiques offering everything imaginable.

References

{{Coord, 53, 04, 22, N, 8, 49, 23, E, type:landmark_region:DE-HB, display=title Populated places in Bremen (city) Culture in Bremen (city)