94 
BREMEN. 
The historic Hansa City of Bremen is a State as well as a municipality, for 
though Bremen parted with its independence in customs matters in 1888 it has 
retained its political independence, and its government is still the limited 
republican form under which it has lived for so many centuries. Though 
Bremen is famous as a maritime trading town, it lies 75 miles distant from the 
open sea, and 37^ miles from its harbour, Bremerhaven, with which it is con 
nected by the river Weser. The entire area of the State territory is 63,357 
acres (about 99 square miles), of which 13,178 acres fall to the town of Bremen 
proper, 173 acres to the small town of Vegesack, 2,172 acres to Bremerhaven, 
47,000 acres to a number of villages lying on both sides of the Weser, and 833 
acres to the river bed. The town itself has been extended six times since 1848 r 
the last extensions (of 1901-2) taking in the villages of Walle, Gröpelingen, 
Hastedt, Schwachhausen, and Woltmershausen, with an area of 7,478 acres. The 
whole of the adjacent country lies low and but little above the.sea level, and 
banks have had to be constructed outside Bremen as a protection against the 
river floods. 
At the census of December, 1905, the State of Bremen had a population of 
259,433, and the town one of 211,931. The modern growth of Bremen has 
been marked by no such startling leaps as have been experienced by some 
German towns more closely identified with industry, but its history has since 
1871 been a history of steady and healthy progress. 
The following Table shows the movement of the towns’ population during 
the intercensal periods since 1871 
Year, 
Population. 
Intercensal Increase. 
Increase Per Cent. 
1871 
1875 
1880 
1885 
1890 
1895 
1900 
1905 
82,969 
102,499 
111,940 
118,043 
124,955 
141,133 
161,184 
211,931 
19,530 
9,441 
6,103 
6,912 
16,178 
20,051 
50,747 
23 5 
92 
5'5 
59 
12 9 
142 
315 
The increase during the period 1900-1905 was enhanced by the incorpora 
tion in 1902 of townships having a population of 21,940. The population of 
the whole State increased from 112,402 in 1871 to 156,723 in 1880, 180,443 
in 1890, 224,882 in 1900, and 259,433 in 1905. 
The increase of population in recent years has been confined to the 
suburbs, for in the older districts, the “ Old Town ” and the “Hew Town,” a 
gradual decline has for a long time been in progress owing to the conversion of 
dwelling houses into business premises and the clearances made for the erection 
of public buildings. The “ Old Town,” indeed, reached its highest figure in 
1842, since when it has more and more taken the “ City” character, and the 
26,372 inhabitants of that year fell to 18,088 in 1905. So, too, the “ New Town ” 
had in 1905 13,708 inhabitants against 15,070 in 1895, when its highest popu 
lation was recorded. It is noteworthy that of Bremen’s population in 
December, 1900, 54*3 per cent, were born in the town. 
Like Hamburg, Bremen was crippled as an industrial centre so long as it 
did not form part of the German Customs Union, for goods produced within 
or imported into the City Republic were dutiable directly they crossed the 
adjacent frontiers of Prussia or Oldenburg. Since 1888, however, the industrial 
importance of Bremen has rapidly increased, and the State authorities are doing 
their utmost, by the extension of the existing harbours and docks, to attract capital 
and enterprise to the town. The census of December, 1900, showed that 45'6 
per cent, of the population were engaged in industry, 36*7 per cent, in trade and 
commerce (including domestic service), 2*2 per cent, in agriculture and gardening, 
while the remaining 15*5 per cent, represented the official, professional, and 
leisured classes. The local industries include shipbuilding, which is also carried 
on at Bremerhaven, Geestemünde, and Vegesack ; engineering works, corn and 
rice milling, jute spinning and weaving, wool combing and washing, tobacco and 
cigar manufactures, beer brewing and spirit distilling, oil mills, small chemical 
works, timber yards, and the manufacture of sails, rope, and ships’ tackle. In 
the jute factories are many Poles and foreigners, chiefly women.