Home»All Photographs»Germany World Heritage (click to see more)»Bremen, City Hall and Roland Statue

The Town Hall of Bremen is the seat of the President of the Senate and Mayor of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. It is one of the most important examples of Brick Gothic architecture in Europe. In July 2004, along with theBremen Roland, the building was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.The city hall stands on the market square of the historic town centre. Directly in front of it is the statue of Roland, mentioned above. Opposite the square the Chamber of Commerce is located, to the right are Bremen Cathedral and the modern parliament building, whilst to the left is Our Lady's Church. On the west side of the square the sculpture The Town Musicians of Bremen by Gerhard Marcks is displayed.The Bremen Roland is a statue of Roland, erected in 1404. It stands in the market square (Rathausplatz) of Bremen, Germany, facing the cathedral, and shows Roland, paladin of the first Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne and hero of the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. Roland is shown as protector of the city: his legendary sword (known in chivalric legend as Durendal) is unsheathed, and his shield is emblazoned with the two-headed Imperial eagle.The standing figure is 5.47 m tall, and stands on a 60 cm rostrum. A supporting column, crowned by a baldachin, brings the combined height to 10.21 m. The statue was carved in limestone from Elm, and was commissioned by the city fathers to replace a wooden one burnt in 1366 by Prince-Archbishop Albert II. It confronts the church as a representation of city rights opposed to the territorial claims of the prince-archbishop.Statues of Roland appear in numerous cities of the former Holy Roman Empire, as emblems of city liberties.