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The Schlachte is a promenade along the east bank of the
In 1247, following authorisation from Archbishop Gerhard II, the area between St Martini's Church and Zweite Schlachtpforte (a street meaning "second quayside gate") was settled by local citizens and traders. In 1250, those privileged to operate water mills were required to maintain the wooden piles used to reinforce the river bank. In the 13th century, both the Schlachte and the Balge were used as harbours for wood (used as firewood) and limestone although the banks of the Balge soon became Bremen's main port. Both harbours were used until the 16th century, the Balge for sea-going ships and the Schlachte for flat-bottomed vessels and river barges. As a result of the silting of the Weser in the early 17th century, the Schlachte became Bremen's main harbour until the beginning of the 19th century.
The appearance of the Schlachte on the woodcut (''pictured'') from c. 1550 clearly shows a quayside with timber reinforcement although a little later a stone structure was substituted. In 1557, the Schlachte officially became part of the city of Bremen. From 1600 to 1830, there was little change in the appearance of the Schlachte and the rare changes harbour equipment were to the great cranes. It stretched from St Martini Church to the Kornhaus. On the town side, it was bordered by a row of half-timbered houses.
An increase in freight in the first half of the 19th century brought about a modest extension to the Schlachte but the arrival of the railway in 1860 brought major changes to Bremen's harbours, especially after
The lower level of the Schlachte was extended upstream and downstream as a modern promenade connected to paths leading into the old town. As a result, it became possible to walk some two kilometres along the riverside. Thereafter, the upstream section from Erste Schlachtpforte (first quayside gate) to the Bürgermeister Smidt Bridge was transformed into a promenade with a historic flair. The ground floors of former warehouses were converted into restaurants, bars and pubs with extensive open-air seating. Modern berths with moorings for several ships were introduced, accommodating the ''Friedrich'' and the ''Roland von Bremen'', copied from the remains of a 14th-century cog discovered in 1962.
In 1996, a pedestrian footbridge was built connecting the Schlachte to the Teerhof peninsula in the middle of the River Weser. The promenade was further extended downstream from the Bürgermeister Smidt Bridge to the Diepenau corner in 2008.
The Schlachte is a promenade along the east bank of the River Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports of B ...
in the old town of Bremen in the north of Germany. Once one of the city's harbours, it is now popular for its restaurants, beer gardens and river boats.
Etymology
''Schlachte'' is a Low German word for a river bank reinforced with wooden piles driven in by the action of hammering (cf.German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
''eingeschlagenen''). The word ''slait'' was used as early as 1250 to refer to the river bank in Bremen.
History
In 1247, following authorisation from Archbishop Gerhard II, the area between St Martini's Church and Zweite Schlachtpforte (a street meaning "second quayside gate") was settled by local citizens and traders. In 1250, those privileged to operate water mills were required to maintain the wooden piles used to reinforce the river bank. In the 13th century, both the Schlachte and the Balge were used as harbours for wood (used as firewood) and limestone although the banks of the Balge soon became Bremen's main port. Both harbours were used until the 16th century, the Balge for sea-going ships and the Schlachte for flat-bottomed vessels and river barges. As a result of the silting of the Weser in the early 17th century, the Schlachte became Bremen's main harbour until the beginning of the 19th century.
The appearance of the Schlachte on the woodcut (''pictured'') from c. 1550 clearly shows a quayside with timber reinforcement although a little later a stone structure was substituted. In 1557, the Schlachte officially became part of the city of Bremen. From 1600 to 1830, there was little change in the appearance of the Schlachte and the rare changes harbour equipment were to the great cranes. It stretched from St Martini Church to the Kornhaus. On the town side, it was bordered by a row of half-timbered houses.
An increase in freight in the first half of the 19th century brought about a modest extension to the Schlachte but the arrival of the railway in 1860 brought major changes to Bremen's harbours, especially after Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven (, , Low German: ''Bremerhoben'') is a city at the seaport of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany.
It forms a semi-enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the Riv ...
was connected to the rail network in 1862. Thereafter, the Schlachte played no further part as a harbour for the city.
20th-century development
As the offices and storerooms in the buildings along the Schachte had not been used for decades, at the end of the 20th century it was decided to undertake a comprehensive transformation of the area, given its attractive location on the riverside. Following the introduction of apedestrian zone
Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian-only use and in whi ...
in 1985, between 1993 and 2000 many of the buildings were rebuilt under the "Stadt am Fluss" (Town on the River) chapter of Expo 2000
Expo 2000 was a World Expo held in Hanover, Germany from 1 June to 31 October 2000. It was located on the Hanover Fairground (Messegelände Hannover), which is the largest exhibition ground in the world. Initially some 40 million people were expe ...
.
The lower level of the Schlachte was extended upstream and downstream as a modern promenade connected to paths leading into the old town. As a result, it became possible to walk some two kilometres along the riverside. Thereafter, the upstream section from Erste Schlachtpforte (first quayside gate) to the Bürgermeister Smidt Bridge was transformed into a promenade with a historic flair. The ground floors of former warehouses were converted into restaurants, bars and pubs with extensive open-air seating. Modern berths with moorings for several ships were introduced, accommodating the ''Friedrich'' and the ''Roland von Bremen'', copied from the remains of a 14th-century cog discovered in 1962.
In 1996, a pedestrian footbridge was built connecting the Schlachte to the Teerhof peninsula in the middle of the River Weser. The promenade was further extended downstream from the Bürgermeister Smidt Bridge to the Diepenau corner in 2008.
The Schlachte today
A number of ships moored along the Schlachte offer river tours up and down the River Weser. There are also landing stages available for those visiting the city in their pleasure craft. The restaurants on the promenade or on board some of the ships on the quayside offer both local dishes and specialities from more exotic regions. Accommodation is available at the youth hostel and on hotel ships. There are also a number of special events in the summer months including a regatta, flea markets and a barbecue festival.References
Literature
* * {{Bremen landmarks Buildings and structures in Bremen (city) Culture in Bremen (city) Waterfronts Tourist attractions in Bremen (state)