cultural policy
The Senate wants to lift the curfew. This emerges from the answer to a small question from the GREEN parliamentary group. So far pubs, bars, discos and clubs have had to close their doors from 2:00 to 6:00 on weekdays. Bremen therefore has the most restrictive regulation in Germany. Most other countries either abolished the curfew altogether or limited it to one hour of cleaning. Experiences with liberalization are positively evaluated. Bremen now wants to test the general lifting of the curfew with a two-year test phase. This should also make the Hanseatic city more attractive to guests. The protection of residents remains guaranteed. In the event of repeated complaints, the authorities can continue to impose conditions on individual companies. The Greens also want the lifting of the curfew to be linked to a campaign that invites pub visitors to be considerate.
For Kai Wargalla, GREEN’s political-cultural spokesperson, the renunciation of the curfew creates more reliability for operators than the current patchwork with numerous exceptions and can lead to less noise by equalizing the migrating guests: “So far Bremen has by far the most restrictive curfew regulations in Germany. Night culture organizers and especially Bremen youth have long wanted to change things. At the same time, local residents’ concern for night sleep is equally understandable. Both are legitimate interests that must be taken into consideration. That’s why we made this detailed request. The result was surprisingly clear that the lifting of the curfew nationwide has brought only positive experiences – for all parties. A curfew or one hour of cleaning puts a lot of people on the street at the same time, the Bremen police and the public order office confirm that the noise produces and hosts the potential conflict. Lifting the curfew could even defuse this. All building and emission control regulations also remained in place and continue to be used to monitor neighborhood concerns. However, should complaints or conflicts arise, the consequences are still possible. In light of the positive results of all the other federal Länder, we believe that an amendment to the Bremen Restaurant Ordinance with a trial abolition of the curfew, an accompanying campaign and subsequent evaluation is an appropriate way. “
Kai Wargalla points out that a campaign should promote a compatible coexistence between nightlife and residents: “We can also imagine a campaign that sensitizes people to nightlife and promotes mutual consideration, especially towards residents. This should start at the same time as the curfew has been lifted. The noise protection fund initiated by us Greens should also ensure that clubs, bars and live entertainment venues can coexist with residential buildings in the future. It is this mixture that makes a city worth living . A vibrant nightlife characterizes a city in its own way, making it attractive for a visit or even as a center of life. It is in the interest of all parties to make it as conflict-free as possible. “
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