Page 70 - DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - The World's Must-See Places

68 EUROPE Bremen Town Hall

A brick fa~ade in the style of the Weser Renaissance makes
Bremen Town Hall one of the northernmost Renaissance
Hamburg•
masterpieces to be found in mainland Europe (Renaissance
()~~':NE~ALL
THl, ,:C POLAND Style, seep. 131). Behind the fa~ade lies a magnificent late-
NlTHlRIANDS
'~ Gothic manifestation of civic pride (Gothic Style, see p.54).
The rectangular building is decorated with medieval statuary,
including life-size sandstone sculptures of Emperor
Charlemagne and the seven electors, four prophets,
FRANCE Wine cask,
and four wise men. The frieze above the building's Ratslceller
arcade is an allegory of human history.

THE STATUE OF ROLAND
This 33-ft (10-m) high statue of Roland has
been a fixture of Bremen's Market Square
for some 600 years. A Christian knight and
~ Upper Hall
nephew of Charlemagne, the Holy Roman
New laws were passed in the
Emperor (r 800--314), Roland symbolizes the splendid Upper H a II, which
town's independence. His gaze is directed occupies the entire first floor.
toward the cathedral, the residence of
the bishop, who often sought to restrict
Bremen's autonomy. Roland's sword of justice Model sailing ships
Suspended from the
symbolizes the judiciary's independence, and
ceiling, these are
its engraved motto confirms the emperor's reminiscent of Bremen's
edict, conferring town rights on Bremen. The role as a major port
statue was carved in 1404 by a member of the
Parler family, a well-known clan of architects
and sculptors. It was the prototype for 35
similar statues in other German towns.

WESER RENAISSANCE
Bremen's Gothic Town Hall owes much of its
splendor to its magnificent fa~de. Having
been completely reworked by the architect
Ludervon Bentheim in 1595-1612, this
f a~ade is considered an outstanding example
of Weser Renaissance architecture, the
predominant style throughout the Weser
region of northern Germany between 152 0
and 1630. Nobles who had toured Italy
returned home inspired by the Renaissance
architecture they had seen and attempted Main entrance
to replicate it in their own designs. The
ornamental gables and frieze along the
arcade are both typical of this style, as are
the richly sculptured projecting oriels.

THE RATSKELLER
To the west side of the Town Hall is the
entrance to the Ratskeller. One of the oldest ~ Ratskeller ~~;;:-----=~~-,~~~~
wine cellars in Germ any, it has been serving This Gothic wine cellar stores ..,.,.~,_.
hundreds of different wines. -~""""'""'
wine since 1405. Today, more than 650 wines
Murals by Max Slevogt(1927)
can be sampled here, all of which are from decorate the walls.
German wine-growing regions and some of
which are stored in decoratively carved wine
casks. The Ratskeller' s atmosphere has inspired KEY DATES
many artists and writers. For example, its 1251 1405-10 1595-1612 1620 1905 1909-13 1927
setting provided the basis for Wilhelm Hauff's
Inauguration of The dilapidated The structure is The Bacchus and Completbn Addition of the Completion of
book, Fantasies in the Bremer Ratske/113' Bremen's first town hall is renovated and a what is now the of the Golden New Town Hall the murals in the
( 182 7), which later inspired the Germ an civi: building, replaced by a new fac;ade built Hauff Room for Chamber in on the east side Hauff Room.
the domus new Gothic overlooking the the storage of German Art of the building.
Impressionist painter Max Slevogt to paint the mnsulum. structure. Market Square. wine are built Nouveau style.
humorous frescoes in the Hauff Room.