Bremen

Bremen, one of the free cities of Germany, is situated on both banks of the river Weser - the Old town being on the right bank, the New on the left. The ramparts of the old town provide pleasant promenades, and it has public buildings of considerable interest, such as the cathedral built on the site of Charlemagne's wooden church, and with a leaden vault in which bodies may be kept for some time without decomposing, the Gothic town hall, in whose wine cellar is said to be hock of the vintage of 1624, and the observatory of Dr. Olbers (1724-1840), whence he discovered the planets Pallas and Vesta. The foreign trade of Bremen is extensive, and from its chief port at Bremerhaven it ships more emigrants to the United States than any other European port excepting Liverpool. It is the headquarters of the North German Lloyds steamship lines. Of its industries the chief is in tobacco, snuff, and cigars. It has also manufactures in cottons, linens, brewing, distilling, sugar-refining, and ship-building. In 788 Bremen was made a bishopric by Charlemagne, and in 858 an archbishopric. In 1283 its citizens joined the Hanseatic league, and after various political vicissitudes it was taken in 1806 by the French. In 1815, however, the Congress of Vienna restored it to independence. The territory, of which Bremen is the capital, covers an area of 97 square miles, and is for the most part a sandy tract.