The Port of Bremen is the capital of the state of Bremen, an enclave in Lower Saxony in northwest Germany. On the banks of the Weser River about 70 kilometers inland from the North Sea, it is one of German’s most important ports and industrial centers. The state of Bremen’s official name is Freie Hansestadt Bremen, acknowledging its historic membership in the Hanseatic League. In 2006, almost 544 thousand people lived in the Port of Bremen, but over two million people lived in the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area.

Geographer Claudius Ptolemaeus wrote about Phabiranum, the site known as Bremen today, in 150 AD when it was home to the Cauci people. They had combined with the Saxons by the 4th Century. The ancient settlement was well-positioned on trading routes between the Rhine and Elbe Rivers, the North Sea, and southern Germany.

Charlemagne created the diocese of Bremen there in 787 AD, creating a base for missionary efforts for all of northern Europe. In 888, Saxon King Arnulf gave Bremen the right to have a market. Its natural harbor attracted merchants who wanted to trade. In 965, the city won marketing rights that brought commercial activity and power to the Port of Bremen. In 1410, the Port of Bremen gained the right to set beacons and buoys in the Weser River, and the beginnings of the port infrastructure appeared.

The Port of Bremen’s first stone walls arise in 1032, when its trade began to grow with the Netherlands, Norway, and England. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I ruled Bremen from 1186, making it a Free Imperial City and imposing church taxes on its citizens. In 1220, local merchants secured the right of safe passage to the North Sea from the archbishop.

By the mid 14th Century, 20 thousand people lived in Bremen. After entering the Hanseatic League in 1358, it became one of the most important economic and religious centers of north Germany. In 1541, Emperor Charles V gave the port “stacking rights,” meaning that all goods must be unloaded and offered to local merchants, thus encouraging trade in the Port of Bremen. He also renewed the old privilege for Bremen merchants of free maritime traffic on the Weser. Construction of the Vegesack harbor, the first artificial harbor on the Weser, began in 1619 to give better access to vessels.

As an imperial free city, in remained independent during the Thirty Years’ War and resisted onslaughts by Hanoverian and Swedish forces. In 1811, Bremen fell to Napoleon who made it the capital of his Departement de Bouches du Weser and part of France. This rule was ended by the 1815 Battle of Waterloo.

Joining the German Confederation in 1815, it became part of the German Empire in 1871. In 1817, the first German steamship was built in the Port of Bremen. City officials purchased 89 hectares in 1827 to create a modern port. That site is today’s Bremerhaven. In 1830, the American ship Draper became the first ship to enter the new port. Due to silting, construction of a new harbor began in 1847 to accommodate the new steam ships that were replacing sailing ships.

In 1837, Beck’s brewery was founded in the city, and today’s Hapag-Lloyd shipping company was formed there in 1857. In 1859, railroad tracks linked the port to inland Germany. In 1871, the Port of Bremen’s facilities were revamped to accommodate sailing ships with non-folding masts, making the port one of the most modern of its day. Still, at the time, the harbor was not passable during the winter, and silting remained a problem. In 1887, work began on an innovative project to clear silt from the riverbed that is still effective today. In 1888, the new Free Port I was opened with large celebrations. The new harbor basin was one of the largest of its day.

By the late 19th Century, the Port of Bremen was established as an international trade and world shipping leader with expanded port facilities and a growing manufacturing industry. In 1906, expansion efforts began and continued through 1908. In 1914, a grain facility was constructed, and a banana facility opened in 1926. Part of today’s Airbus, Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG, was founded in 1923. In 1928, Columbus Quay was completed, giving the port a “Railway Station on the Sea.”

During World War II, much of the Port of Bremen was destroyed or damaged, although it was quickly rebuilt after the war. At the end of World War II, the Port of Bremen was bombed and captured by British forces, and it later became a part of the American occupation zone.

In 1957, the first roll-on/roll-off cargo reached the Port of Bremen, and a new passenger facility was started in 1958. The first container ship reached Bremen in 1966, and construction for a container terminal opened in 1968. A second container terminal and a new roll-on/roll-off facility were completed in 1972. In the late 1970s, a new general cargo terminal, an auto terminal, and an expanded container terminal were completed. Since then expansion and improvement efforts have been largely continuous.

Improvements to the Port of Bremen in the 1990s included a grain facility, container-handling facilities, new banana facility, cold storage container facility, and storage for vehicles. In 2003, the Columbus Cruise Center was upgraded and modernized, and a new container berth and terminal was opened. In 2004, a major effort to add berths for the world’s biggest container vessels was undertaken. In 2005, new berths were added for deep-water auto carriers.

Bremen Hafen has managed the Port of Bremen since 2002 on behalf of the municipality. The Port of Bremen enjoys a booming container-handling business. In 2007, the port handled 4.9 million TEUs of containerized cargo compared to 1.8 million TEUs in 1998. With three existing container terminals, the Port of Bremen is opened Container Terminal 4 in September 2008.

In 2007, over 10 thousand vessels (half of them container vessels) called at the Port of Bremen carrying 189 million gross tons. That year, the Port of Bremen handled over 69 million tons of cargo, including almost 11 million tons of bulk cargo and over 58 million tons of general cargo.

International trade represented every continent in the world, with other European countries’ vessels carrying 33 million tons in cargo, the Americas’ vessels carrying more than 17 million tons, Asian vessels carrying more than 14 million, and African vessels carrying more than two million tons of cargo through the port. In 2007, the Port of Bremen handled almost five million TEUs (48.7 million tons) of containerized cargo, with roughly equal amounts coming from Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

Major imports through the Port of Bremen in 2007 included vehicles, petroleum products, ores and metal wastes, crushed stone, coal, coke, agricultural products (like cereals and grains), and foodstuffs. Major exports included vehicles, steel products, ores, cement, meal and fodder, machinery, and wood and cork.

The Port of Bremen is proud of its refurbished the Columbus Cruise Center. In 2007, almost 75 thousand passengers arrived or departed through the Center on 137 cruise vessels.

The City of Bremen (German) is one of north Germany’s most important cities, and it has a long rich history that makes it a popular destination for travelers. With over 1200 years of history, it contains many places visitors will want to see.

The Port of Bremen’s Town Hall (Rathaus) was begun in 1410, and it displays the wealth and freedom of the 15th Century city. Today, the Rathaus is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Included on the World Heritage List is a statue of Knight Roland, a protector of trade that appears in many Hanseatic League cities. Bremen’s Roland is considered one of the best such statues. A statue of the Brothers Grimm, probably Bremen’s most famous citizens, stands next to the Town Hall.

The city center boasts the Schnoor-Viertel, a center for Bremen’s cultural history containing theaters, libraries, museums and galleries. The Schnoor-Viertel was restored to its 16th- and 17th-Century appearance during the town’s rebuilding after World War.

The Cathedral of St. Peter is more than 1200 years old, and it dominates the main square. The interior of the building is decorated with some wonderful ceiling paintings, and visitors can climb the southern tower to get some great views of the city.

Bottcherstrasse is an Art Nouveau street running from the main square to the river with many beautiful facades and courtyards. The street contains a Glockenspiel that chimes regularly and many shops and museums to keep visitors entertained.

Outdoor lovers will want to see the agricultural, rural side of the Port of Bremen by visiting Blockland near the Wumme River. Here, you’ll see green fields, bicyclers, line skaters, and cows enjoying the peaceful countryside.

Travelers who want to visit the Port of Bremen by sea can find a list of scheduled cruises at the Columbus Cruise Center website.