Bremerhaven, Germany
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Bremerhaven (; ) is a city on the east bank of the
Weser The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...
estuary in northern Germany. It forms an exclave of the city-state of Bremen. The River Geeste flows through the city before emptying into the Weser. Bremerhaven was founded in 1827 as a seaport for
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
, and it remains one of the busiest ports in the country. It was historically rivalled by on the opposite side of the Geeste, which belonged to
Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
(and later
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
). Geestemünde united with neighbouring to form the city of in 1924, and Bremerhaven was itself annexed to Wesermünde in 1939, but the entire conurbation was restored to Bremen in 1947.


History

The town was founded in 1827, but neighboring settlements such as Lehe were in the vicinity as early as the 12th century, and Geestendorf was "mentioned in documents of the ninth century". p. 8. Fourth revised edition. Translated into English from the original German edition titled ''Bremerhaven – tätige Stadt im Noordseewind'' These tiny villages were built on small islands in the swampy estuary. In 1381, the city of
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
established ''de facto'' rule over the lower
Weser The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...
stream, including Lehe, later therefore called Bremerlehe. Early in 1653,
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
Bremen-Verden Bremen-Verden, formally the Duchies of Bremen and Verden (; ), were two territories and immediate fiefs of the Holy Roman Empire, which emerged and gained imperial immediacy in 1180. By their original constitution they were prince-bishoprics of th ...
's troops captured Bremerlehe by force. The
Emperor Ferdinand III Ferdinand III (Ferdinand Ernest; 13 July 1608 – 2 April 1657) was Archduke of Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1625, King of Bohemia from 1627 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1637 to his death. Ferdinand ascended the throne at the begi ...
ordered his vassal
Christina of Sweden Christina (; 18 December ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. 8 December1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Monarchy of Sweden, Queen of Sweden from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. Her conversion to Catholicism and ...
, then Duchess regnant of Bremen-Verden, to restitute Bremerlehe to Bremen. However, Swedish
Bremen-Verden Bremen-Verden, formally the Duchies of Bremen and Verden (; ), were two territories and immediate fiefs of the Holy Roman Empire, which emerged and gained imperial immediacy in 1180. By their original constitution they were prince-bishoprics of th ...
began the
First Bremian War The Swedish wars on Bremen were fought between the Swedish Empire and the Hanseatic town of Bremen in 1654 and 1666. Bremen claimed to be subject to the Holy Roman Emperor, maintaining Imperial immediacy, while Sweden claimed Bremen to be a media ...
(March – July 1654). In the subsequent peace treaty (; November 1654) Bremen had to cede Bremerlehe and its surroundings to Swedish Bremen-Verden. The latter developed plans to found a fortified town on the site, and much later this location became the present-day city of Bremerhaven. In 1672, under the reign of
Charles XI of Sweden Charles XI or Carl (; ) was List of Swedish monarchs, King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period of History of Sweden, Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611–1721). He was the only son of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden ...
, in
personal union A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, involves the constituent states being to some extent in ...
Duke of Bremen-Verden—colonists tried unsuccessfully to erect a castle (named Carlsburg after Charles XI) there; this fortified structure was meant to protect, as well as control shipping heading for Bremen. Finally, in 1827, the city of Bremen under
Bürgermeister Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, ) is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or executive of a city or town. The name in English was derived from the Dutch . In so ...
Johann Smidt Johann Smidt (November 5, 1773 – May 7, 1857) was an important Bremen politician, theologian, and founder of Bremerhaven. Biography Smidt was a son of the Reformed preacher Johann Smidt sen., pastor at St. Stephen Church in Bremen. Smidt j ...
bought the territories at the mouth of the Weser from the
Kingdom of Hanover The Kingdom of Hanover () was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Hanover, and j ...
. Bremen sought this territory to retain its share of Germany's overseas trade, which was threatened by the silting up of the Weser around the old inland port of Bremen. Bremerhaven (literally in ) was founded to be a haven for Bremen's merchant marine, becoming the second harbour for Bremen, despite being downstream. Due to trade with, and emigration to, North America, the port and the town grew quickly. In 1848, Bremerhaven became the home port of the
German Confederation The German Confederation ( ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, which had been dissolved ...
's
Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
under
Karl Rudolf Brommy Rear Admiral Karl Rudolf Brommy (changed his name to reflect the English pronunciation of his original name, Bromme) (10 September 1804 – 9 January 1860) was a German naval officer who helped establish the first unified German fleet, the Reic ...
. The
Kingdom of Hanover The Kingdom of Hanover () was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Hanover, and j ...
founded a rival town next to Bremerhaven and called it Geestemünde (1845). Both towns grew and established the three economic pillars of trade, shipbuilding and fishing. Following inter-state negotiations at different times, Bremerhaven's boundary was several times extended at the expense of Hanoverian territory. In 1924, Geestemünde and the neighbouring municipality of Lehe were united to become the new city of Wesermünde, and in 1939 Bremerhaven (apart from the overseas port) was removed from the jurisdiction of Bremen and made a part of Wesermünde, then a part of the Prussian
Province of Hanover The Province of Hanover () was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1866 to 1946. During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, alo ...
. Bremerhaven was one of the important harbours of emigration in Europe. As possibly the most critical
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
base of the ''
Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...
'', 79% of the city was destroyed in the Allied air
bombing of Bremen in World War II The Bombing of Bremen in World War II by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and US Eighth Air Force involved both area bombing and, as capacity improved, more targeted raids upon the city's military-industrial facilities. These included the s ...
; however, key parts of the port were deliberately spared by the Allied forces to provide a usable harbour for supplying the Allies after the war. All of Wesermünde, including those parts which did not previously belong to Bremerhaven, was a postwar enclave run by the United States, separate to but within the British zone of northern Germany. Most of the US military units and their personnel were assigned to the city's Carl Schurz Kaserne. One of the longest based US units at the Kaserne was a US military radio and TV station, an "Amerikanischer Soldatensender",
AFN Bremerhaven AFN Bremerhaven was originally an "Armed Forces Radio and Television Service" (AFRTS) station. (AFRTS, worldwide, is now also known as "American Forces Network" or "AFN"). The Bremerhaven affiliate station was located in northern Germany. At the ...
, which broadcast for 48 years. In 1993, the Kaserne was vacated by the US military and returned to the German government. In 1947 the city became part of the federal state
Free Hanseatic City of Bremen Bremen (), officially the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (; ), is the smallest and least populous of Germany's 16 states. It is informally called ('State of Bremen'), although the term is sometimes used in official contexts. The state consists ...
and was consequently renamed from Wesermünde to Bremerhaven. Today, Bremerhaven is a city in its own right, but also part of the
city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world throughout history, including cities such as Rome, ...
of Bremen, which is for all intents and purposes a state comprising two cities. In addition to being part of the federal state, the city of Bremen has owned the "overseas port" within Bremerhaven since 1927. This and other parts of Bremerhaven owned by the city of Bremen are known as ''stadtbremisch''. To complicate matters, a treaty between the two cities (as mentioned in Section 8 of Bremerhaven's municipal constitution) makes Bremerhaven responsible for the municipal administration of those parts owned directly by Bremen.


Economy

Frosta AG Frosta AG (stylized as FRoSTA) is a frozen food company headquartered in Bremerhaven, Bremen, Germany. The corporation owns production facilities in Germany and Poland, with sales and distribution subsidiaries in the Czech Republic, Germany, Hung ...
, a frozen food company which is a market leader in Germany and one of the largest frozen food companies in Europe, as well as
Nordsee Nordsee GmbH is a German fast-food restaurant chain specialising in seafood. In addition to selling raw and smoked seafood, the company also sells a wide variety of meals and products prepared from seafood such as Fischbrötchen (fish sandwi ...
, one of Europe's leading fish restaurant chains, are headquartered in Bremerhaven.
BLG Logistics BLG Logistics Group AG & Co. KG is a seaport and logistics company with headquarters in Bremen. The operative divisions offer services for automobile, industry and trading customers. The company has nearly 100 locations in Europe, Americas, Amer ...
operates Europe's largest car transshipment center and car workshop in the city. The port of Bremerhaven is the sixteenth-largest
container A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping. Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...
port in the world and the fourth-largest in Europe with of cargo handled in 2007 and 5.5 million in 2015. The container terminal is situated on the bank of the river Weser opening to the North Sea. In the wet dock parts, accessible by two large locks, more than 2 million cars are imported or exported every year with 2.3 million in 2014. Bremerhaven imports and exports more cars than any other city in Europe. Another million tons of "High-and-Heavy" goods are handled with
ro-ro Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, Trailer (vehicle), trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their ...
ships. In 2011 a new
panamax Panamax and New Panamax (or Neopanamax) are terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. The limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) in a publication titled "Vessel Requirements". ...
-sized lock has replaced the 1897 ''Kaiserschleuse'', then the largest lock worldwide. Aerial view of Bremerhaven (2019).jpg, Aerial view of Bremerhaven Karte der Häfen in Bremerhaven.png, Harbors of Bremerhaven A Weser watershed closer.gif, The river Weser flows by
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
to the estuary at Bremerhaven (top) HB 2016-0607 photo32 Bremerhaven sea port.jpg, Skyline of Havenwelten-district HB 2016-0607 photo34 Bremerhaven sea port.jpg, Overseas port of Bremerhaven Container-Terminal Bremehaven (2019).jpg, Bremerhaven
container port A container port, container terminal, or intermodal terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles, for onward transportation. The transshipment may be between container ships and land v ...
2013-05-03 Fotoflug Nordholz Papenburg HP 1430.JPG, Locks and docks around
Lloyd Werft Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH is a dockyard in Bremerhaven. It was founded in 1863 by the shipping company Norddeutscher Lloyd, first mainly used as a repair workshop for the company’s own merchant fleet. This new yard was established in ...
Jade-weser-muendung map de.png, Bremerhaven on the east bank of the Weser


Climate

Bremerhaven has a temperate
maritime climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring ...
; severe frost and heat waves with temperatures above are rare. On average, the city receives about of precipitation distributed throughout the year, with a slight peak in the summer months between June and August and a slightly drier season in late winter and early spring. Snow does fall in winter and early spring and, more rarely, in late autumn. However, it usually does not stay on the ground for long. The hottest temperature ever recorded was on 20 July 2022, and the coldest was on 25 February 1956.


Transport


Roads

Due to its unique geographic situation, Bremerhaven suffers from a few transportation difficulties. The city has been connected to the
autobahn The (; German , ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. Much of t ...
network since the late 1970s. The A 27 runs north–south, east of the city, connecting Bremerhaven to Bremen and
Cuxhaven Cuxhaven (; ) is a town and seat of the Cuxhaven district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town includes the northernmost point of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the shore of the North Sea at the mouth of the Elbe River. Cuxhaven has a footprint o ...
. Road connections to
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
, however, are poor. The
Bundesstraße 71 The Bundesstraße 71 (abbr: B 71) is one of the longer German federal roads, numbered in the 60s and 70s series. It begins at the B 6 in Bremerhaven by the Unterweser and ends in Könnern near Halle (Saale) in Saxony-Anhalt. At its st ...
and secondary roads therefore carry most of the heavy
lorry A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructio ...
traffic. A proposed solution is the construction of the A 22, the so-called ''Küstenautobahn'' (or "coastal motorway"), which would link Bremerhaven to Hamburg and
Wilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsha ...
/
Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to: Places * Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica *Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany **Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony * Ol ...
(using the
Weser tunnel The Wesertunnel crosses the river Weser in northwestern Germany between the villages of Rodenkirchen and Dedesdorf, offering a connection between the cities of Nordenham and Bremerhaven on a regional level. It was built from 1998 to 2004 and conn ...
). Roads leading to the overseas port are frequently overloaded with freight traffic, and solutions are presently being discussed, including a deep-cut road favoured by the city government and various interest groups.


Railway

Bremerhaven has three active passenger rail stations: Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof in the city centre,
Bremerhaven-Lehe Bremerhaven (; ) is a city on the east bank of the Weser estuary in northern Germany. It forms an exclave of the city-state of Bremen. The River Geeste flows through the city before emptying into the Weser. Bremerhaven was founded in 1827 as ...
north of the centre and Bremerhaven-Wulsdorf in the southern part of the city. All three stations are served by hourly
Bremen S-Bahn The Bremen S-Bahn () is an S-Bahn network in Germany, covering the Bremen/Oldenburg Metropolitan Region, from Bremerhaven in the north to Twistringen in the south and Bad Zwischenahn and Oldenburg (city), Oldenburg in the west. It has been in o ...
trains on the line RS 2 as well as regional services to
Cuxhaven Cuxhaven (; ) is a town and seat of the Cuxhaven district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town includes the northernmost point of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the shore of the North Sea at the mouth of the Elbe River. Cuxhaven has a footprint o ...
and
Buxtehude Buxtehude (; , ), officially the Hanseatic City of Buxtehude (), is a town on the Este River in Northern Germany, belonging to the district of Stade in Lower Saxony. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and attached to the city's S-Ba ...
on the line RB 33. Additionally, Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof is served by regional express trains to
Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
(RE 8) and
Osnabrück Osnabrück (; ; archaic English: ''Osnaburg'') is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168 ...
(RE 9) and was reconnected to Deutsche Bahn's
Intercity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the train categories in Europe, classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to InterRegio, regional train, r ...
network in late 2021, after nearly 20 years without long-distance rail services in the city. A fourth station, Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel near the border with Langen, has been out of service since 1988. Apart from passenger traffic, the railways in Bremerhaven carry a heavy load of freight traffic from and to the seaport, mostly new cars,
containers A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping. Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...
and food.


Bus

In 2020, Bremerhaven had a bus network with 19 bus routes operated by BREMERHAVEN BUS. Two of the bus routes are night routes that only run on weekends. In addition, there is the ''Schnellbus-Line S'', which serves selected stops and is therefore faster. BREMERHAVEN BUS operates up to 87 regular buses through the company ''Verkehrsgesellschaft Bremerhaven AG (VGB)''. There are numerous regional buses operated by other companies that depart from Bremerhaven Central Station, to
Bad Bederkesa Bad Bederkesa (Low German: ''Beers'') is a village and a former municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1 January 2015 it is part of the town of Geestland. It is situated approximately 20 km northeast of ...
,
Beverstedt Beverstedt is a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 20 km southeast of Bremerhaven, and 40 km north of Bremen. Beverstedt belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen. In ...
, Hagen,
Nordholz Nordholz is a village and a former municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1 January 2015 it is part of the municipality Wurster Nordseeküste. It is situated approximately 25 km north of Bremerhaven, and 1 ...
and
Otterndorf Otterndorf (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Oterndörp'') is a town on the coast of the North Sea in the federal state of Lower Saxony, Germany, and is part of the collective municipality () of Land Hadeln. The town, located in the administrative distric ...
. In addition, Bremerhaven is also served by buses from
Flixbus FlixBus (; styled FLiXBUS) is a German brand that offers low-cost Intercity bus service, intercity coach services in Europe, North America, South America and Asia. It is owned by , which also operates FlixTrain, FlixCar, , and Greyhound Lines. F ...
.


Tram

Bremerhaven had a tram service from 1881 to 1982. In its heyday, in 1949, there were six lines. The last line was Line 2 from the north of the city to the main train station; but this was shut down on 30 July 1982.


Tourist attractions

Bremerhaven has only a few historical buildings, and the
high street High Street is a common street name for the primary business street of a city, town, or village, especially in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It implies that it is the focal point for business, especially shopping. It is also a metonym fo ...
and city centre are almost entirely post-war. The main attractions for tourists are found at the ''Havenwelten'' and include an attraction about climate change, the , the German Emigration Center (since 8 August 2005) and the
German Maritime Museum The German Maritime Museum () is a museum in Bremerhaven, Germany. It is part of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community. The main museum building was opened on 5 September 1975 by then-president of Germany Walter Scheel, though scie ...
(''Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum'') by
Hans Scharoun Bernhard Hans Henry Scharoun (; 20 September 1893 – 25 November 1972) was a German architect best known for designing the (home to the Berlin Philharmonic) and the Schminke House in Löbau, Saxony. He was an important exponent of Organic arc ...
from 1975, featuring the Hansekogge, a vintage cog dating from 1380, excavated in Bremen in 1962, and the historical harbour (''Museumshafen'') with a number of
museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...
s, such as the
Type XXI U-boat Type XXI submarines were a class of German diesel–electric '' Elektroboot'' (German: "electric boat") submarines designed during the Second World War. One hundred eighteen were completed, with four being combat-ready. During the war only two w ...
''
Wilhelm Bauer Wilhelm Bauer (; 23 December 1822 – 20 June 1875) was a German marine engineer and inventor who built several hand-powered submarines. Biography Wilhelm Bauer was born in Dillingen in the Kingdom of Bavaria. His father was a sergeant in ...
'' (a museum of its own), and the salvage tug ''Seefalke'' from 1924. The '' Bremerhaven Zoo'' reopened on 27 March 2004, after a lengthy renovation. It features
Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...
wildlife, both terrestrial and marine. The latest addition is the ''Klimahaus'' from 2009, simulating travel adventure along the 8th line of
longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...
and dealing with climate issues. Two gazebos can be found on top of the '' Atlantic Hotel Sail City'' and the
Radar Tower A radar tower is a tower whose function is to support a radar facility, usually a local airport surveillance radar, and hence often at or in the vicinity of an airport or a military air base. The antenna is often continually rotating. In additio ...
. Another tourist spot is the ''Fischereihafen'' (fishing port) in Geestemünde which also houses an aquarium (the Atlanticum). The
Lloyd Werft Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH is a dockyard in Bremerhaven. It was founded in 1863 by the shipping company Norddeutscher Lloyd, first mainly used as a repair workshop for the company’s own merchant fleet. This new yard was established in ...
shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are shipbuilding, built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes m ...
is renowned for building and renovating large cruise liners, for example ''Norway''. Every five years Sail Bremerhaven is held, a large sailing convention that attracts
tall ship A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigging, rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a r ...
s from all over the world. The last time it was held was in 2015 with over 270 vessels and 3,500 crew members. In 2011 Bremerhaven set the record for the largest ever parade of boats, with 327 vessels in the parade. This record was broken in 2012 by the
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant was a parade on 3 June 2012 of 670 boats on the Tideway of the River Thames in London as part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The Queen, Prince Philip and other members of t ...
, with 1,000 boats. The passenger terminal ''Columbuskaje'', built at the Weser bank in 1927 to avoid time-absorbing locking, has been transferred into a cruise terminal (Columbus Cruise Center Bremerhaven/CCCB). Also three
marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...
s are available, the latest accessible through a new lock at ''Neuer Hafen''.


Politics

Bremerhaven has a city council with 49 members. It also elects 15 members of the
Bürgerschaft of Bremen The State Parliament of Bremen (, ) is the legislative branch of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen in Germany. The state parliament elects the members of the Senate (executive), exercises oversight of the executive, and passes legislation. It cu ...
.


Population


Sport

The
Fischtown Pinguins The Fischtown Pinguins, also known as REV Bremerhaven, are a professional ice hockey team based in Bremerhaven, Germany. From 2004 to 2016 the team played at the second tier of ice hockey in Germany, known as the 2nd Bundesliga until the 2012–1 ...
, also known as REV Bremerhaven, are a professional ice hockey team in the
DEL Del, or nabla, is an operator used in mathematics (particularly in vector calculus) as a vector differential operator, usually represented by the nabla symbol ∇. When applied to a function defined on a one-dimensional domain, it denotes ...
, Germany's top ice hockey league.
Eisbären Bremerhaven Eisbären Bremerhaven () is a professional basketball club from Bremerhaven, Germany, that competes in the ProA. The team was established as the professional section of the club BSG Bremerhaven and played in the first-tiered Basketball Bundesliga ...
(Polar Bears), founded 2001, is a basketball team playing in the German second-tier level league
ProA The ProA is the German basketball league system, second-tier Sports league, league of professional club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 16 teams. Officially the ProA is part of the ''2. Basketball Bundesliga'', which consists of the t ...
. The American Football team is the
Bremerhaven Seahawks The Bremerhaven Seahawks are an American football club from Bremerhaven, Germany. The club is one of the six founding members of the ''American Football Bundesliga'', alongside the Düsseldorf Panther, Frankfurter Löwen, Ansbach Grizzlies, Mun ...
which play in the German Regio Nord of the 3rd League. The Seahawks are the second oldest team in Germany. Local
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
clubs are Leher TS, SFL Bremerhaven and until 2012
FC Bremerhaven FC Bremerhaven was a German association football club located in Bremerhaven, Bremen. History The club was founded 1 June 1899 and soon merged with ''VfB 1899 Lehe'' to become ''FC Bremerhaven-Lehe''. In 1917 ''FC'' merged with ''SC Sparta Brem ...
. TSV Wulsdorf and
OSC Bremerhaven OSC Bremerhaven is a German sports club based in Bremerhaven, in the states of Germany, federal state of Bremen (state), Bremen. History The club was founded in 1972 as ''Olympischer Sport-Club Bremerhaven'' in a merger of various List of footb ...
also have a football teams but as part of a
multi-sport club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
.


Research and education

Bremerhaven is home to the
Alfred Wegener Institute The Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (German: ''Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung'') is located in Bremerhaven, Germany, and a member of the Helmholtz Association ...
, a national research institute which is concerned with maritime sciences and climate and keeps a number of
research vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...
s, amongst them the heavy research
icebreaker An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...
RV Polarstern RV ''Polarstern'' (meaning pole star) is a German research icebreaker of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, Germany. ''Polarstern'' was built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in Kiel and Nobiskrug in ...
. It also runs the
Neumayer Station III Neumayer Station III, also known as Neumayer III after geophysicist Georg von Neumayer, is a German Antarctic research station of the Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI). It is located on the approximately thick Ekström Ice Shelf several kilometre ...
in the Antarctic. The
Fraunhofer Society The Fraunhofer Society () is a German publicly-owned research organization with 76institutes spread throughout Germany, each focusing on different fields of applied science (as opposed to the Max Planck Society, which works primarily on Basic re ...
maintains research laboratories in Bremerhaven for development and testing of Wind Power components. The
German Maritime Museum The German Maritime Museum () is a museum in Bremerhaven, Germany. It is part of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community. The main museum building was opened on 5 September 1975 by then-president of Germany Walter Scheel, though scie ...
is part of the German
Leibniz Association The Leibniz Association (German: ''Leibniz-Gemeinschaft'' or ''Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz'') is a union of German non-university research institutes from various disciplines. Funding and Structure As of 2020, 96 non-u ...
. The (Hochschule Bremerhaven) was founded in 1975 and is expanding since with more than 3.000 students in 2009. The university is attended by a large number of students from all over the world. Among the courses offered are Process Engineering, Information Technology and the BA Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Leadership programme, the first programme modelled after the Finnisch Team Academy format in a German language higher educational institution.


Twin towns – sister cities

Bremerhaven is twinned with: *
Cherbourg-en-Cotentin Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (, ; Norman: ''Tchidbouo'') is a port city in the department of Manche, Normandy, northwestern France, established on 1 January 2016.Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes direc ...
, England, UK (1963) *
Pori Pori (; ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Satakunta. It is located on the west coast of the country, on the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Pori is approximately , while the Pori sub-region, sub-region has a population of a ...
, Finland (1969) *
Frederikshavn Frederikshavn () is a Danish town in Frederikshavn municipality, Region Nordjylland, on the northeast coast on the North Jutlandic Island in northern Denmark. Its name translates to "Frederik's harbor". It was originally named Fladstrand. The ...
, Denmark (1979) *
Szczecin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Poland-Germany border, German border, it is a major port, seaport, the la ...
, Poland (1990) *
Kaliningrad Kaliningrad,. known as Königsberg; ; . until 1946, is the largest city and administrative centre of Kaliningrad Oblast, an Enclave and exclave, exclave of Russia between Lithuania and Poland ( west of the bulk of Russia), located on the Prego ...
, Russia (1992) The three roads connecting the city of Bremerhaven to the Autobahn 27 consequently are named after the original three twin towns: * Cherbourger Straße (AS Bremerhaven-Überseehafen) * Grimsbystraße (AS Bremerhaven-Mitte) * Poristraße (AS Bremerhaven-Geestemünde) In addition to that, there are also streets which earlier had been named after Szczecin (Stettiner Straße) and Kaliningrad (Königsberger Straße).


Notable people

*
Gottfried Semper Gottfried Semper (; 29 November 1803 – 15 May 1879) was a German architect, art critic, and professor of architecture who designed and built the Semper Opera House in Dresden between 1838 and 1841. In 1849 he took part in the May Uprising in ...
(1803–1879), architect, volunteer at the port construction. * Johanna Goldschmidt (1807–1884), social activist, writer and philanthropist * Oda Olberg (1872-1955), journalist, socialist and feminist. *
Erich Koch-Weser Erich Koch-Weser (born Erich Koch; 26 February 1875 – 19 October 1944) was a German lawyer and liberal politician. One of the founders (1918) and later chairman (1924–1930) of the liberal German Democratic Party, he served as minister of the ...
(1875–1944), lawyer and politician *
Wolfgang Gaede Wolfgang Max Paul Gaede (25 May 1878 – 24 June 1945) was a German physicist and pioneer of vacuum engineering. Life Gaede was born in Lehe, Bremerhaven, Lehe, Bremerhaven, the son of Prussian Colonel Karl Gaede and Amalia, nee Renf. In 189 ...
(1878–1945), physicist and pioneer of
vacuum engineering Vacuum engineering is the field of engineering that deals with the practical use of vacuum in industrial and scientific applications. Vacuum may improve the productivity and performance of processes otherwise carried out at normal air pressure, or ...
*
Helmut Yström Helmut Yström (1881–1963) was a German politician and Senator in Bremen, Germany. Biography Yström's first foray into government work was his military service during World War I. From 1919 to 1937, he was a Bremen police officer. He q ...
(1881–1963), politician, Senator in Bremen, 1945–1948, local chief of police *
Hans Scharoun Bernhard Hans Henry Scharoun (; 20 September 1893 – 25 November 1972) was a German architect best known for designing the (home to the Berlin Philharmonic) and the Schminke House in Löbau, Saxony. He was an important exponent of Organic arc ...
(1893–1972), grew up in Bremerhaven, architect and exponent of organic architecture *
Betty Schade Betty Schade (born Frida Feddersen; March 27, 1895 – March 27, 1982) was a German-born American actress of the silent era. She appeared in about 135 films between 1913 and 1921. Schade was born in Geestemünde (Bremerhaven), Germany and ...
(1895–1982), German-born American actress of the silent era * Carl H. Hermann (1898–1961), professor of
crystallography Crystallography is the branch of science devoted to the study of molecular and crystalline structure and properties. The word ''crystallography'' is derived from the Ancient Greek word (; "clear ice, rock-crystal"), and (; "to write"). In J ...
*
Adolf Butenandt Adolf Friedrich Johann Butenandt (; 24 March 1903 – 18 January 1995) was a German biochemist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1939 for his "work on sex hormones." He initially rejected the award in accordance with government pol ...
(1903–1995), biochemist; awarded the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry The Nobel Prize in Chemistry () is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outst ...
in 1939 *
Lou Jacobs Johann Ludwig Jacob (January 1, 1903 – September 13, 1992), professionally known as Lou Jacobs, was a German-born American auguste clown who performed for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for more than 60 years. He was induct ...
(1903–1992), American clown and entertainer * Karl-Georg Saebisch (1903–1984), German-language theater, film and television actor, director and honorary member of the Municipal Theatre Bremerhaven *
Lale Andersen Lale Andersen (23 March 1905 – 29 August 1972) was a German chanson singer-songwriter born in Lehe (now part of Bremerhaven). She is best known for her interpretation of the song "Lili Marleen" in 1939, which by 1941 transcended the conflic ...
(1905–1972), singer and actress, sang WW2 song "
Lili Marleen "Lili Marleen" (also spelled "Lili Marlen'", "Lilli Marlene", "Lily Marlene", "Lili Marlène" among others; ) is a German love song that became popular during World War II throughout Europe and the Mediterranean among both Axis powers, Axis and ...
" * Johannes Piersig (1907–1998), Kantor,
docent The term "docent" is derived from the Latin word , which is the third-person plural present active indicative of ('to teach, to lecture'). Becoming a docent is often referred to as habilitation or doctor of science and is an academic qualifi ...
for organ playing, *
Carola Höhn Carola Höhn (30 January 1910 – 8 November 2005) was a German actress. Selected filmography Film * '' The Weekend Bride'' (1928) * '' Don Juan in a Girls' School'' (1928) * '' From a Bachelor's Diary'' (1929) * '' Youthful Indiscretion'' (1929 ...
(1910–2005), stage and movie actress * Werner Grübmeyer (1926–2018), local politician *
Eberhard Jäckel Eberhard Jäckel (; 29 June 1929 – 15 August 2017) was a German historian. In the 1980s, he was a principal protagonist in the Historians' Dispute ('' Historikerstreit'') over how to incorporate Nazi Germany and the Holocaust into German hi ...
(1929–2017), historian, studied role of
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
in German history *
Roger Asmussen Roger Asmussen (September 6, 1936, in Bremerhaven – June 7, 2015) was a German politician. He was a representative of the German Christian Democratic Union.Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands, Retrieved on July 29, 2009 From 1983 to 1 ...
(1936–2015), politician (CDU), German Minister of Economy and Transport in 1987 * Norman Paech (born 1938), university professor and politician (The Left) * Sigrid Lorenzen Rupp (1943–2004), German-American architect *
Hans Joachim Alpers Hans Joachim Alpers (14 July 1943 – 16 February 2011) was a German writer and editor of science fiction and fantasy. Together with Werner Fuchs and Ulrich Kiesow he founded Fantasy Productions, which became one of the premier German RPG- and b ...
(1943–2011), writer and editor of science fiction and fantasy * Hans Joachim Schliep (born 1945), Lutheran theologian, pastor and author *
Jeanne Córdova Jeanne Córdova (July 18, 1948 – January 10, 2016) was an American writer and supporter of the lesbian and gay rights movement, founder of '' The Lesbian Tide'', and a founder of the West Coast LGBT movement. A former Catholic nun, Córdova w ...
(1948–2016), American pioneer
lesbian and gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notab ...
activist *
Uwe Beckmeyer Uwe Karl Beckmeyer (born 26 March 1949 in Bremerhaven) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) who served as a member of the German Bundestag from 2002 until 2017. From October 2004, he served as the SPD parliament ...
(born 1949), politician (SPD) *
Anton Zensus Johann Anton Zensus (born 1 February 1958, in Bremerhaven) is a German radio astronomer. He is director at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) and honorary professor at the University of Cologne. He is the founding chair of the c ...
(born 1958), radio astronomer & director at the
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy The Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfRA) (German: ''Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie'') is located in Bonn, Germany. It is one of 80 institutes in the Max Planck Society (German: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft). History By com ...
*
Heino Ferch Heino Ferch (born 18 August 1963) is a German film, theatre and television actor. His notable film roles include Albert Speer in '' Downfall'' (2004) and Harry Melchior in ''The Tunnel'' (2001). Biography The son of a merchant sea captain, Hei ...
(born 1963), actor & voice actor * Volker Engel (born 1965), visual effects supervisor and producer *
Christoph Maria Herbst Christoph Maria Herbst (born 9 February 1966) is a German actor and comedian. Early life Herbst was born in Wuppertal. After passing the Abitur, he became a trainee banker and was active at the free theatre scene in Wuppertal at the same time ...
(born 1966), actor and comedian at Stadttheater Bremerhaven 1992–1996 *
Corinna Harney Corinna Harney (born February 20, 1972) is an American model and actress. She was chosen as ''Playboy's'' Playmate of the Month for August 1991 and ''Playboy's'' Playmate of the Year for 1992. Harney is sometimes credited as Corina Harney, Cori ...
(born 1972), German-American model and actress * Anders Levermann (born 1973), environmental scientist and
climatologist Climatology (from Greek , ''klima'', "slope"; and , ''-logia'') or climate science is the scientific study of Earth's climate, typically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of at least 30 years. Climate concerns the atmospheric ...
* Jenny Dolfen (born 1975), illustrator and teacher


Sport

* Walter Schmidt (born 1937), footballer, played 299 games *
Willi Reimann Willi Reimann (born 24 December 1949) is a German former football player and manager. Reimann played as a young boy in a local club in Rheine, later in the Bundesliga for Hannover 96 and Hamburg, appearing in 287 games, in which he scored 93 go ...
(born 1949), former footballer and football coach, played 304 games *
Felix Magath Wolfgang Felix Magath (; born 26 July 1953) is a German football manager and former player. The most notable spell of his playing career was with Hamburger SV, with whom he won three Bundesliga titles, the 1977 European Cup Winners' Cup Final a ...
(born 1953), football player and coach, played 382 games and 43 for Germany * Bernd Brexendorf (born 1954), footballer and doctor *
Tomas Seyler Tomas Seyler (known as Shorty; 16 July 1974 – 11 July 2024) was a German professional darts player. Career Seyler reached the second round of the Winmau World Masters in 2003, beating Vincent van der Voort in the first round, but lost to Ra ...
(born 1974), darts player * Lars Toborg (born 1975), football player, played over 280 games * Clemens Schoppenhauer (born 1992), footballer, played 216 games *
Esra Sibel Tezkan Esra Sibel Tezkan (born February 23, 1993) is a Turkish-German female football defender currently playing in the German Women's Regional League of the Middle Rhine for 1. FFC Bergisch Gladbach 2009. She is part of the Turkey women's national foo ...
(born 1993), Turkish-German footballer


References and notes


External links


Auswandererhaus

Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum (in German)

Hochschule Bremerhaven (in English)

Alfred Wegener Institut (in English)

360 QTVR Panos

Fullscreen panos



20th century timetables
{{Authority control Enclaves and exclaves Populated coastal places in Germany (North Sea) Port cities and towns in Germany Port cities and towns of the North Sea 1827 establishments in the German Confederation 19th-century establishments in Bremen Urban districts of Germany