Bremen and the Renaissance found each other and made memories. The northern German trading city and the new spirit of art and thought influenced each other.

Bremen gave the Renaissance unique expression, mostly in red brick. The city was forever changed and remains an independent city state of modern Germany.

Marvelling at these sights is among the top things for visitors to do in Bremen.

From the early medieval period the city’s identity was closely linked to trade. As a prominent member of the Hanseatic League, Bremen was driven by commerce long before the Renaissance. This early prosperity gave Bremen a head start.

The Renaissance reached northern Europe late in the 15th century and early in the 16th. This was a time when Bremen was creating wealth and developing the curiosity to embrace new ideas coming from Italy and the Low Countries. In Bremen, like in the Mediterranean, trading wealth attracted artists and craftsmen.

The Renaissance styles of Bremen developed an individual flavour, influenced by fashions in the Netherlands and Belgium. 

Renaissance attractions to see in Bremen

Bremen’s characteristic architecture is called Weser Renaissance after the river artery that flows through the city. The grandest example of this style is the Altes Rathaus, the old city hall.

But the style also found expression in the city weighhouse and (in stone) on the twin-gabled Gewerbehaus and the Schütting. Each represents the prominence of commerce and civic pride.

The flourishes on the stepped gables of these buildings follow Dutch and Flemish patterns and provide a contrast with buildings of the same period in Lübeck or other Baltic cities.

The Altes Rathaus, Bremen’s old town hall, reflects the Renaissance spirit in the symbolic language and details of its decoration. It is an early 15th century Gothic building updated with ornate early 17th century triple gables that are Flemish-inspired. These were created by Lüder von Bentheim, son of a Dutch stonemason, and completed in 1613.

The richly patterned facade facing Am Markt includes friezes and sculptures – also inspired by designs from the Low Countries – with a porch supported by arcades over the walkway beneath. The red and dark bricks are patterned and glazed.

The sculptures include the Holy Roman emperor and his seven electors, representing Bremen's independent position. It was formally designated a free imperial city in 1646, but since 1186 had imperial privileges such as significant legislative and fiscal autonomy and had been a member of the Hanseatic League since 1358. There had been strong links with Hanseatic trade for at least a century before that.

Bremen and other free imperial cities came directly under the emperor in the hierarchy of the age and were proud of this, because it was also an expression of independence and a civic ideal.

On other facades are figures interpreted as apostles, philosophers or biblical prophets. But the second-storey sculpted figures at either end speak even louder. Two figures from Greek tradition, Demosthenes and Aristotle, show that Bremen was presenting itself as a great city state and inheritor of mighty civic customs and political traditions. These figures are named on accompanying scrolls for emphasis. The builders did not miss any chance to emphasise their claim to the ideals of city representation and the virtues and qualities of the rulers. These town hall statues are copies of originals today standing in Bremen’s Focke Museum.

Inside the Altes Rathaus, the features of the hall known as the Güldenkammer were designed by Bentheim. Another Renaissance work is a wall painting, The Judgment of Solomon, in the Obere Halle.

Restored memories of earlier Renaissance buildings face south-east. These were depicted by the engraver Matthäus Merian about 1630.  

Roland stands for independent spirit

Bremen’s statue of Roland, a figure drawn from a medieval epic about a knight of Charlemagne, was the city’s gift to its north German counterparts. Roland symbolises independence, freedom and market rights. The statue is 5.5 metres high in a structure reaching more than 10 metres, which seems extraordinary in a limestone sculpture built just after 1400. It remains the most important and impressive of all the Rolands in northern Germany.

The statue is carved in the Gothic, rather than Renaissance style. But his presence and form are further evidence that autonomy was already part of the city spirit when other influences came along.

Roland’s position on Am Markt, in front of Altes Rathaus, is no accident. But the statue’s aspect symbolises something else, too. He faces Bremen’s cathedral St Petri Dom, with his sword raised. This gesture, many have claimed, was rooted in the history of Bremen.

Ambitious late medieval cities and regional archbishops often were often at odds. This friction developed heat and a year-long struggle involved violent exchanges. The prince-archbishop Albrecht II, always short of money, tried to regain control of the revenues of the city. But the city resisted and set up a wooden Roland figure as a token of defiance. In 1366, soldiers of the archbishop destroyed it by fire.

But the city leaders stood firm and built a replacement monument that proved impossible to destroy. Bremen’s council was now more than a match for the churchmen.

Whatever the true story behind his placement, Roland is the greatest statement of Bremen’s independence. With Altes Rathaus, Roland is described as “an outstanding representation of the civic autonomy and market rights as they developed in the Holy Roman empire” in UNESCO’s world heritage listing of the site.

The old town is the most prominent of Bremen’s historical precincts, which include the Schnoorviertel tourist area and the Böttcherstrasse arts street. 

Commercial buildings to see

The Schütting, also standing proudly on Am Markt, is hard to miss. This stately guild hall, home to the city’s merchants for centuries, faces the Altes Rathaus as its counterpart in civic pride. Its facade, with its slightly off-centre portal, expresses a quiet elegance. In the 18th century a more formal central entrance was built, further refreshed in the 19th century.

Stroll around to the east gable to admire its Renaissance form, then note the older west side, where Gothic stepped details survive. On Schüttingstrasse, look for the small yet poignant fragment of St Peter, salvaged from the original medieval building.

The Gewerbehaus, a few steps away, reveals a later chapter of the city’s commercial story. Once the headquarters of the cloth guild and later a hub for small merchants and craftsmen, this sandstone beauty mixes Renaissance style with hints of Baroque flair.

Its twin gables, playfully nicknamed Venus and Mercury, overlook Ansgarikirchhof. Above the portal, Classical gods stand keeping watch. A side gable faces Hultfilderstrasse. Over the centuries, the building has been altered, divided, and rebuilt, especially after wartime damage. But its spirit remains rooted in Bremen’s mercantile tradition.

Follow the old commercial street Langenstrasse to the Stadtwaage (weighhouse), crowned with one of the most intricate stepped gables in northern Germany. This was among Lüder von Bentheim’s earliest works. It served as the city’s official weighing station at a time when booming trade demanded both precision and prestige. Remarkably saved from the ruins of war, it stands today as a proud emblem of Bremen’s trading past.

Nearby at Langenstrasse 15, the ground-floor facade of the Essighaus from 1618 offers more Renaissance delight. The name possibly comes from a vinegar factory or a former occupant. This treasure also had to be resurrected after extensive bombing damage.

Check out the Raven Travel Guides Europe Bremen travel guide for all the details of Bremen’s leading sights and money-saving tips.

Visiting Bremen’s Renaissance attractions

It pays the visitor to wander these streets slowly. The facades, gables, and sculptural details are not just architectural flourishes. They are the monuments and storytellers in a city where commerce and culture flourished side by side.

To reach the old town of Bremen, take tram 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 to Domsheide. To reach Langenstrasse, take tram 1, 2 or 3 to Obernstrasse.