| Balge | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Germany |
| Location | Bremen |
The Balge (also known as the Balje) [1] was a short branch of the Weser on its eastern side, running through what is now the centre of Bremen. As it served as a harbour in the early Middle Ages, it significantly contributed to Bremen's development as a port. The river gradually narrowed until in 1608, it was canalised. In 1838, it was completely filled with earth.
At the time when the diocese was founded, the low-lying land around Bremen was swampy with several islands formed by the Weser and its branches. In 1988/1989 construction work involving excavations at the corner of Martinistrasse and Wachtstrasse revealed three small waterway channels from around the year 800 in an area of 50 m × 40 m (160 ft × 130 ft). There was also a river boat from the 9th century. [2] From the 9th century onwards, the terrain changed significantly, partly as a result of floods which brought sand into the area, partly through increased human settlement. Gradually, the marshes and the river's minor branches disappeared.
The Balge, together with the Kleine Weser (Little Weser), was one such branch. The theory that the Balge might at some time have been the main stream of the Weser has never been proven. [3] Originally, the Balge left the Weser at Altenwall. In a bend stretching over some 650 m (2,130 ft), it ran almost parallel to the main river along the Bremer Düne. It became separated from the Weser by some 200 m (660 ft) at the Marktplatz before rejoining it and opening up like a funnel at the “Zweite Schlachtpforte”. The island between the Schlachte and the Weser covered roughly today's Martini and Tiefer districts. Originally, the width of the Balge varied from about 30 to 50 m (98 to 164 ft). [4]
When the diocese of Bremen was founded in the 8th century, the site for cathedral and bishop's residence was chosen at the point of contact of the two most important geographical features of the area: the Weser and the “Bremer Düne” (Bremen Dune). The Weser opened the way to the long distance trade routes while the Dune offered protection against floods and enemy attacks. Bremen's first harbour was located along the north bank of the Balge. It is assumed that ships moored on both sides of the Balge, over a stretch of several hundred metres. The Langenstraße, one of the city's oldest streets and one of the most important streets for the city's merchants, no doubt originated at the time when one of the first settlements grew up on the right bank of the Balge. [5] In 13th century sea vessels became too large for the Balge. [6] On the bank of main Weser river a new quay was built, called Schlachte. Since then the importance of the old Balge harbour decreased. [7] Nevertheless, both harbours were used until the 16th century, the Schlachte for sea-going ships and the Balge for flat-bottomed vessels and river barges. [8] Finally in 1602, the Balge was closed for traffic of boats.
The Balge's banks were subsequently reinforced in several stages. When excavations were carried out in 1970 at the Bankhaus Neelmeyer (close to where the Böttcherstrasse joins the Marktplatz), remains of the harbour sides, fortified with masonry, together with dolphins, were found. The dolphins were made from oak piles tied together with iron rings in groups of three. Similar discoveries had already been made in 1909 at the corner of Marktplatz and Langenstrasse and in 1862 near the Schütting and Wachtstrasse. Evidence of an even older structure was found: a bank reinforcement made from piles and wickerwork, presumably built before the 10th century. The other structures consisting of stone and brick are assumed to have been made in medieval or late medieval times (between 11th and 15th centuries). [9] The market place probably stems for its role as a harbour-side market, with ships mooring along its south bank.
While the Balge had originally been quite wide, it narrowed over time as a result of buildings constructed on its banks as the city developed combined with changes in the river network and silting. In late medieval times, the width of the Balge had been reduced to some 20 m (66 ft). Otherwise it would not have been possible to erect the Schütting where there had once been a river bed. [4]
In the 13th century after the Balge had already ceased to serve as a harbour for larger ships (which were moored instead at the Schlachte), an artificial channel was constructed between the Balge and the Weser, designed to improve the flow of water between the two rivers. Until then, the Balge had gradually been filled with sand and refuse. After the channel was established, the upper portion of the Balge was known as “Klosterbalge” and the lower part, “Grosse Balge”. In order to improve the city's defences, the channel into the upper portion of the Balge was closed, making it impossible to be penetrated by enemy forces. The “Klosterbalge” became a dead end, receiving rain and waste water only from the adjacent buildings. But at that time, the “Grosse Balge” was still used by ships. In 1399, the council of Bremen ruled in a decree called “Balgeverordnung” that so-called “Eken” (flat river boats made of oak with a width of approximately 1,50 meters and a length between 3,50 to 10 meters) could no longer moor in the Balge for more than three days and three nights as they would otherwise present an obstacle to boat traffic. [10] In 1602, the Balge was closed to boats. In 1608, a channel with a width of 4.6 m (15 ft) was established specifically for drainage. In 1819, the Senate of Bremen decided that the Balge should be filled in over its entire length and that it should be replaced by a waste water channel 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) in width. As a result of formal objections relating to specific rights and competing interests of the Balge residents, work was not completed until 1838 when the Balge completely disappeared from the City of Bremen. [11]
From medieval times, several bridges crossed the Balge:
The bridges were probably drawbridges enabling ships and boats to sail past even if the water level was high. [13] All the bridges continued to be exist until the end of the 18th century. They were gradually dismantled after the Balge was filled in. [3]
From 1990/1991 onwards, the original route of the Balge was indicated in several parts of the old town by means of bronze plaques and by a different kind of paving. This was done on the recommendation of Senator Harald Lucht, head of cadastral services (today GeoInformation Bremen). [14] The Balge appears as a narrow channel from the 18th century, at the Schlachte, at the Stintbrücke, at the Wachtstrasse and at the Balgebrückstrasse where the junction between Grosse Balge and Klosterbalge is indicated. [15]
In addition, several street names are reminiscent of the Balge and its original route:
A bronze sculpture Fietje Balge by the sculptor Bernd Altenstein donated in 2007 by Bankhaus Carl F. Plump & Co. was erected in the street Hinter dem Schütting, near the Spitzen Gebel tavern, in memory of the Balge. A nearby plaque explains the history of the Balge and a QRpedia code links to this article. [16]
In the beginning of 2008, there were excavations on Bredenplatz, at the corner of Bredenstrasse and Martinistrasse, where a new hotel was to be built. They revealed the remains of the Balge river bank reinforcements, dated to around the year 1000. The structure consisted of wood piles, horizontal boards and wicker work. Findings also included objects lost in mud, including a silver denarius (a coin from Cologne), a dagger, a silver fibula and a pair of ice skates made from bones. [17]
In 2009, repair work took place in the Schifferhaus Shipper's House in Bremen. The bank reinforcement of the Klosterbalge was investigated which, like the Grosse Balge, had served as an underground waste water channel. [18]
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 50 km (31 mi) further north against the ports of Bremerhaven and Nordenham. The latter is on the Butjadingen Peninsula. It then merges into the North Sea via two highly saline, estuarine mouths.
Aktien-Gesellschaft „Weser" was one of the major German shipbuilding companies, located at the Weser River in Bremen. Founded in 1872 it was finally closed in 1983. All together, A.G. „Weser" built about 1,400 ships of different types, including many warships. A.G. „Weser" was the leading company in the Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG, a cooperation of eight German shipbuilding companies between 1926 and 1945.
The Aller is a 215-kilometre (134 mi) long river in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last 117 kilometres (73 mi) form the Lower Aller federal waterway (Bundeswasserstraße). The Aller was extensively straightened, widened and, in places, dyked, during the 1960s to provide flood control of the river. In a 20-kilometre (12 mi) long section near Gifhorn, the river meanders in its natural river bed.
Vegesack is a northern district of the city of Bremen.
The City Municipality of Bremen is the capital of the German federal state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, a two-city-state consisting of the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven. With around 570,000 inhabitants, the Hanseatic city is the 11th largest city of Germany as well as the second largest city in Northern Germany after Hamburg.
Schnoor is a neighbourhood in the medieval centre of the German city of Bremen, and the only part of it that has preserved a medieval character. The neighbourhood owes its name to old handicrafts associated with shipping. The alleys between the houses were often associated with occupations or objects: There was an area in which ropes and cables were produced and a neighboring area, where wire cables and anchor chains were manufactured.
The Weser Depression or Weser Lowlands is the region north of Porta Westfalica in Germany, where the River Weser no longer flows through a valley, but a broad plain consisting of meadows and river terraces.
Haus der Stadtsparkasse is a Rococo landmark on the "Marktplatz" in Bremen, Germany. It was completed in the 1950s combining the historic front gable from another site with the more recent architecture of the remainder of the building.
The old Rathscafé, now named Deutsches Haus, is a listed building on the market place (Marktplatz) in Bremen. It is part of the monument ensemble No. 1–21.
The Bremer Marktplatz is a square situated in the centre of the Hanseatic City of Bremen. One of the oldest public squares in the city, it covers an area of 3,484 m2 (37,500 sq ft). It is no longer used as a market place except for the Christmas market and the annual Freimarkt Fair at the end of October.
The Schütting, situated on the Marktplatz in Bremen, initially served the city's merchants and tradesmen as a guild house. In 1849, it became Bremen's chamber of commerce. Since 1973, it has been under monument protection. It lies on the south site of the Bremen marketplaces directly across from the town hall.
The Bremen Exchange in Bremen was one of the eight German Regional stock exchanges until 2007. In 2000 it ceased to use the Open outcry method and in 2007 the last operative units were closed. The property of exchange's holding company went to the newly established Foundation of the Bremen Stock Exchange, a non-profit organisation which is intended to benefit scholarship, research, and culture.
The Schlachte is a promenade along the east bank of the River Weser 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.
The Kontorhaus am Markt in Bremen is a historical building in the city centre of Bremen. Today, it is used as a shopping mall. It is situated at the Bremer Marktplatz between three streets: Langenstrasse 2/8, Stintbruecke 1 and Bredenstrasse 13.
The Teerhof is a peninsula between the River Weser and the Kleine Weser, opposite the city centre of Bremen, Germany. It was first mentioned in 1624 as "Theerhof" when it was the northernmost part of an island. Today it consists mainly of residential buildings and the Weserburg modern art museum.
The Schlachte Cranes were important to the port of Bremen as they enabled heavy loads to be moved off boats on the River Weser. The Schlachte became an important harbour for the city after silting prevented the use of the Balge as a harbour. Today, only the foundations of a 19th-century crane remain on the Weser waterfront.
The Langenstraße is a historical street in the old town of Bremen in the north of Germany. First mentioned in 1234, it is one of Bremen's oldest streets and one of the most important for the city's merchants. It no doubt originated at the time when the first settlements grew up on the north bank of the Balge. It runs west from the Marktplatz parallel to the River Weser over Bürgermeister-Smidt-Straße to Geeren. Many of the street's historic buildings were seriously damaged during aerial bombings in the Second World War but were carefully reconstructed in the postwar period.
The Suding & Soeken building is a gabled house at No. 28 Langenstraße in Bremen, Germany. Referred to as a Kaufmannshaus or Kontorhaus, it is one of the city's few historic merchant houses to survive the war undamaged. It is noted for its projecting Renaissance bay window and its two-tiered Baroque stairway ascending from the hallway.
The Ports of Bremen, Bremen Ports or Bremish Ports, in German "Bremische Häfen" consist of the commercial ports in Bremen and Bremerhaven. They are managed by bremenports GmbH & Co. KG, a company of private status in public property.
The Focke Museum is the museum of history and the history of art for the city and state of Bremen. It was formed in 1924 by the merger of a museum of industry and commerce and the previous historical museum, and is named for the founder of the latter, Johann Focke (1848–1922), a Bremen privy councillor and father of Henrich Focke. It is located in 4.5 hectares of grounds in the Riensberg neighbourhood of the city. In addition to a main building which opened in 1964 and was extended in 2002, the museum complex includes buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
