BREMEN CITY HALL
The Bremen city hall, first built in 1409 and subsequently expanded and renovated many times, looks out over a town square as storied as the building itself. The Bremen rathaus is often cited as one of the outstanding examples of the Weser Renaissance style, a term employed to describe the regional architecture that came into being in the high renaissance of Germany in the sixteen and seventeen centuries. Its broad, unified facade capped with three imposing gables give the city hall a dignified, imposing presence, which announces to the world the importance of the city and its enterprises.
The first floor served as a gathering place for merchants and important townspeople. Large, intricately detailed models of ships hand from the rafters — a tribute to Bremen’s position in the Maritime trade.
On the second floor, artist …. decorated an intimate chamber in an elegant, art noveau style in 1905.
In the basement, the famous Bremen Rathaus Ratskeller (city hall wine cellar) holds what many believe to be the oldest wine barrel in Germany (a recent Chinese billionaire offered 150,000 euros for a single bottle of the oldest vintage). In the past, city officials required all wine-makers in the region — usually white wine — to store their vintages in the city hall ratskeller. This policy insured the payment of taxes to the local government.
more to come...