3/24/2023. The Bremen Town Hall, the Roland and the wines of the Bremen Ratskeller share one thing in common: they are all part of the UNESCO World Heritage. While City Hall and Roland have been on the World Heritage List since 2004, the Intangible World Heritage has been entitled “Wine Culture in Germany” since 2021. On the first Sunday in June, the German Commission for UNESCO and the association UNESCO World Heritage Sites Germany eV, together with the 51 World Heritage Sites in Germany, invite you to discover the World Heritage Site. This special day is also celebrated every year in Bremen and rounded off with a multi-day program from June 2nd to 4th, 2023. This year’s motto “Our World. Our Heritage. Our Responsibility.” offers a program on the subject of sustainability and the transience of unique cultural and natural sites.
The Bremen World Heritage Days will open on Friday with the sing-along festival “Bremen so free – A festival in 11 songs” on the market square. The songs summarize the history of the Hanseatic city and the state in one big arc. They are a sung declaration of love to Bremen and Bremerhaven – a beautiful community experience for school classes, choirs and music fans. It will be sung at 11 a.m. Details, sheet music and registration at: www.bremen-so-frei.de
The exhibition “Bremen – History – World Heritage” will then open at 1 p.m. in the lower hall of the town hall. The exhibition follows the traces of the exciting past of the Town Hall and Roland and presents aspects of the building history, individual restoration measures at the Town Hall and the criteria that led to the Town Hall and Roland being included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004. The exhibition is free and ends on June 22, 2023, so it can be visited on all days of the World Heritage weekend and beyond.
On Saturday, June 3rd, the bremer shakespeare company will bring Bremen’s history to life. How did Bremen become an independent state again after the Second World War? What hurdles had to be overcome at a time when people in the destroyed cities were suffering primarily from hunger, cold and lack of housing? The production of the series “From the Files to the Stage” is dedicated to the topic “Bremen forward! From the “Bremen Enclave” to an independent state (1945 – 47)” during a scenic reading.
On Saturday evening, the European Hanseatic Ensemble will perform the concert “PAX AETERNA Music from the Hanseatic City of Danzig” in the Church of Our Lady. Established in 2019, the ensemble is made up of young musicians from all over Europe who deal with early music. The aim of the “European Hanseatic Ensemble” project is to rediscover the great musical heritage of the Hanseatic region from around 1600 and to revive it in concerts today.
Various guided tours through the town hall and the Schütting, the seat of the Chamber of Commerce, also provide insights into the history of the Hanseatic city. The Schütting, with its magnificent interior and valuable furnishings, is the home of the Bremen merchants and has been the seat of the Bremen Chamber of Commerce since 1849. The tour focuses on trade and change in the merchant town. A special tour for young and old is also the torch tour through the Ratskeller vault and the upper hall of the town hall. Bring the flashlights with you. The price for the torchlight tour is 15 euros per person and includes a glass of wine or a glass of grape juice.
The highlight is the UNESCO World Heritage Day on Sunday, June 4, 2023, with numerous guided tours. The town hall opens its doors for free guided tours. You can see the upper hall, the ballroom and the fireplace room – and you can also look into the senate room and the guild chamber.
Every day, the Bremen Ratskeller is represented in the wine box on the market square and offers delicacies from the range and wine gifts. In addition, the Bremen Ratskeller provides information about the UNESCO World Heritage Site of “Wine Culture in Germany” and the extent to which it has made a significant contribution to wine culture for more than 600 years.
In order to get to know the city with its traditions and modern times by land and water, the “Harbour Area and Old Town Magic” package is ideal. Included are two nights’ accommodation with breakfast, a trip on the Stadtmusi-kanten-Express, a Weser and harbor tour, a robber baron’s skewer in the Comturei restaurant and a rustic dinner in the Schüttinger brewery. The package costs 185 euros per person in a double room. The hotel is freely selectable.
Further information, tickets and booking options are available from Bremen Tourism on 0421 / 30 800 10 or on the Internet at
