Bremen built its Town Hall in 1409 to assert its independence from feudal authority. In 1612 it added a Renaissance facade on top. The wine cellar beneath it has been in continuous operation since 1405. The Roland statue facing it is the legal symbol of commercial freedom.
About Altes Rathaus
The Gothic Town Hall was built 1409 as a symbol of Bremen's Free Imperial City status. The Weser Renaissance facade was added 1612. The Roland statue has stood since 1404. The Ratskeller wine cellar has operated continuously since 1405. UNESCO World Heritage designation 2004.
Overview Bremen's Altes Rathaus — Old Town Hall — on the Marktplatz is a UNESCO World Heritage building from 1409 whose Gothic ground floor was covered in a Weser Renaissance facade in 1612, producing a building that combines two centuries of civic architectural ambition in a single structure. The Roland statue facing it across the Marktplatz has stood since 1404 as the symbol of Bremen's commercial freedoms and imperial independence. UNESCO designated both the Town Hall and the Roland as World Heritage in 2004.
“The Roland statue facing it across the Marktplatz has stood since 1404 as the symbol of Bremen's commercial freedoms and imperial independence.”
Altes Rathaus, Germany
The Story Behind It Bremen was a Free Imperial City — directly subordinate to the Holy Roman Emperor rather than any prince — which gave it unusual commercial freedom in the medieval period. The Town Hall was built in 1409 to assert this independence architecturally; the Roland statue facing it was the legal symbol of market freedom, signaling that Bremen operated under imperial rather than feudal commercial law. When the Weser Renaissance facade was added in 1612, the result was one of the earliest and most sophisticated examples of that specifically North German style — a blend of German Gothic structure with Dutch and Flemish Renaissance decorative elements. The building survived both World Wars without significant damage, which is exceptional for a major German Hanseatic city.
What You'll Experience The Rathaus exterior — the layered facade with its Gothic arches visible beneath the 1612 Renaissance addition — is the primary architectural experience. The interior Golden Hall (Güldenkammer) is accessible on guided tours and contains sixteenth and seventeenth-century paintings and the original furnishings of the senate chamber. The Bremer Ratskeller beneath the Town Hall is Germany's oldest wine cellar in continuous operation since 1405, still serving wine at the original vaulted tables.
Getting There Bremen Hauptbahnhof is a 15-minute tram ride from the Marktplatz (Tram 1, 2, 3, or 10). Bremen is accessible from Hamburg (1 hour) and Hanover (45 minutes) by ICE.
“Getting There Bremen Hauptbahnhof is a 15-minute tram ride from the Marktplatz (Tram 1, 2, 3, or 10).”
The Experience
The layered Gothic-Renaissance facade on the Marktplatz, the Golden Hall interior on guided tours, and the Bremer Ratskeller beneath — Germany's oldest continuously operating wine cellar — in a vaulted space that has served wine since the year of Agincourt.
Why It Matters
The Bremen Town Hall is the most significant surviving Weser Renaissance building and the architectural record of Hanseatic civic independence — a building that asserted commercial freedom in stone and has maintained that assertion through six centuries.
Why Visit
The Ratskeller beneath the Town Hall is the specific experience worth making the visit for — drinking wine in a vaulted cellar that has been serving the same function since 1405 is a continuity of use that most heritage sites cannot offer.
Insider Tips
- 1
Reserve a table in the Ratskeller in advance — it is a functioning restaurant and the wine list is extensive.
- 2
The Marktplatz also has the Schütting (Merchants' Guild Hall) facing the Town Hall — look at both facades for the Weser Renaissance comparison.
- 3
The town hall interior guided tour is available in English on weekends; book through the tourist information office.
