Bremen: Home of the town musicians

Heading to Bremen

"Go with us to Bremen" - the famous line from the Grimm's 'Bremen Town Musicians' fairy tale is known across the world. And if you follow their advice, you'll be close enough to the North Sea to feel a pleasant breeze, watch big ships head off to far away places and stroll through medieval alleys where fishermen and craftsmen once worked. Bremen is not only one of Germany's ten largest cities but also hosts one of the country's most competitive universities.

Bremen introduced

Bremer Stadtmusikanten, Photo: bremen4u Even work can seem more like pleasure in Bremen - the city has that kind of atmosphere. But that doesn't mean the business world isn't well represented: Many large corporations, such as Beck's Beer, Kellogg's, and Kraft Foods maintain a major presence in this maritime trading town, while DaimlerChrysler and Airbus giant EADS have set up production plants here. Chocolate and coffee companies, radio stations, and high-tech firms offer jobs in business, the media, and research. Meanwhile, thousands are employed in the city's harbor and logistics business.

Overview of the universities

Bremen University
Bremen University is relatively new and is strictly interdisciplinary, cooperating with over 300 companies in the adjacent technology park. 20,000 students, 1,440 researchers and over 1,000 employees study and work on campus - an area that is now a wireless LAN zone. The university offers a wide range of subjects, many of which have been adapted into international English language programs. Departments include history and political science, engineering, neurological and cognition sciences, not to mention the Research Center Ocean Margins - and all have been successful in attracting millions in third-party funding.

Jacobs University Bremen
Founded in 1999, this is a private, international, and state-approved university. The Jacobs University offers courses in engineering and natural sciences, the humanities and social science. English is the primary language in both teaching and research.

University of Applied Sciences Bremen

Over 8,000 students are enrolled at this institute in the fields of architecture, civil engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, nautical science, international business, ocean engineering, social service, and business.

University of the Arts
Art, music, design and theory are the four pillars of study at the University of the Arts. Subjects at the small school include drawing, sculpting, installation, new media, graphic design, 3-D design, fashion design, and music (incorporating both church music and music pedagogy).

What Bremen is like

Marta Holowacz came from central Poland to Bremen as an exchange student with an Erasmus stipend, but ended up staying for studies in philosophy and German.

Why did you decide to stay in Bremen?

Northern Germany fits my personality. And the city is simply beautiful. Bremen's character is almost rural with its small alleys and streetcars. I also love my studies. It's not all about Goethe in Bremen. In class, we also talk about media, pop culture or slam poetry. And in philosophy we sometimes deal with the intersections of neuropsychology and philosophy.

How do you support yourself financially?

I work in the International Office on campus. Life in Bremen is relatively inexpensive. I pay 182 euros rent for a student housing apartment. That's average in Bremen.

What's your favourite spot?

I am a culture vulture, so I find it hard to pick one favorite spot in town. On Sunday afternoons I like the art museum, perhaps the Freitag café for a chat with friends, or running in the rhododendron park with its wonderful red and white blossoms.

Did you know?

Bremen Rathaus, Photo: BTZ Bremer Touristik-Zentrale Just pray you are in your teens or twenties when you come to Bremen. Tradition says that anybody who turns 30 and is still single has either to sweep the cathedral stairs or polish its doorknobs. This peculiar custom dates way back in history and just won't stop - probably because it is so much fun for your friends to drag you there on your 30th birthday and embarrass you in public. So don't be surprised if you come to Bremen and notice these weird cleaning activities in front of a very big church.

Things to check out

Don't forget to bring your swimming gear with you. The Weser beach is not far from the city center and the North Sea can be reached within an hour. If you don't like sunbathing, you may opt for a journey back in time while visiting the impressive ancient town hall and the cathedral. Stroll through the medieval Böttcher Street, an alley where craftsmen once worked and which remains a center for arts and culture today. The Schnoor is a former quarter of fishermen's homes and forms today's old city center which is well worth exploring. And as so much sight seeing will surely work up an appetite, try Bremen's unofficial specialty, a tasty cross between a pizza and a wrap known as Rollos.

What's happening?

A lot is going on in Bremen, and fortunately the party hot spots are centrally located. The Schlachte, a former fresh water port, now hosts many upscale restaurants, bars and cafés where you can easily spend the whole night bar hopping. Less picturesque but more of a cult favorite is the Viertel ("the Quarter"). It has an indie/alternative flavor and is a place where a night of partying can easily turn into an extended and leisurely Sunday morning brunch.