Bremen

Bremen, city (1994 pop. 551,600), capital of the state of Bremen, NW Germany, on the Weser River. Known as the Free Hanse City of Bremen (Ger. Freie Hansestadt Bremen), it is Germany's largest port after Hamburg and is a commercial and industrial center trading in cotton, wool, tobacco, and copper. The city's products include ships, aircraft, steel, machinery, electrical equipment, textiles, beer, and foodstuffs, particularly roasted coffee. In recent years Bremen has employed about half its workforce in commerce, transportation, and the service sector. The shipyard that was once its largest employer closed in 1996. Bremen is Germany's oldest port city. It was made an archbishopric in 845, and under Archbishop Adalbert (1043-72) it included all of Scandinavia, Iceland, and Greenland. The archbishops held temporal sway over a large area between the Weser and Elbe rivers, but the city of Bremen itself remained virtually independent as its importance grew. In 1358 it became one of the leading members of the Hanseatic League. It accepted the Reformation in 1522, and in 1646 it was made a free imperial city. It stubbornly fought to preserve this status after the archbishopric had been assigned to Sweden by the Peace of Westphalia and later was ceded (1719) by Sweden to the elector of Hanover (George I of England). Bremen was occupied by France from 1810 to 1813. The city's overseas trade—from the late 18th cent. particularly with the United States—grew in the 19th cent., partly because of the founding (1827) of nearby Bremerhaven and the establishment (1857) of Norddeutscher Lloyd (North German Lloyd), a large shipping company. The city joined the German Empire in 1871. After World War I, there was a short-lived (1918-19) socialist republic of Bremen. The city was badly damaged by bombs during World War II, but numerous historic monuments remain, including the Gothic city hall (1405-9); the statue of Roland, the medieval hero, which was erected in 1404 as a symbol of the city's freedom; the cathedral (begun 1043), a blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles; and two noted churches—the Liebfrauenkirche (13th cent.) and the Johanneskirche (14th cent.). The city has a major art museum and a museum of overseas ethnology. The state of Bremen (1994 pop. 674,300), 156 sq mi (404 sq km), was formed in 1947 by combining Bremen and Bremerhaven.

City (pop., 2002 est.: city, 540,950; metro. area, 849,800), northwestern Germany. Located on the Weser River, it was established as a diocese in 787 by Charlemagne and was the seat of an archbishopric from 845. In the 10th century it became an economic centre of northern Germany, especially after entering the Hanseatic League in 1358. It joined the German Confederation in 1815 and the reconstituted German Empire in 1871. It suffered extensive damage in World War II; after the war Bremen, with nearby Bremerhaven (pop., 2002 est.: 195,863), became a state of West Germany. Today the state, covering 156 sq mi (404 sq km), forms an integral part of the German economy and serves as headquarters for many industries.

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Bremen is a city in Haralson County, United States. The population was 4,579 at the 2000 census.

Locally the name of the city is pronounced BREE-muhn. Sharon Sewell is the current mayor.

Geography

Bremen is located at (33.715933, -85.147213).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.9 square miles (23.1 km²), of which, 8.9 square miles (23.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.34%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,579 people, 1,824 households, and 1,245 families residing in the city. The population density was 515.7 people per square mile (199.1/km²). There were 1,978 housing units at an average density of 222.8/sq mi (86.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.53% White, 9.54% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.

There were 1,824 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,354, and the median income for a family was $39,674. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $20,823 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,833. About 6.2% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Bremen is the home of Hugh McGraw, a noted scholar of American hymnody and the foremost expert in the Sacred Harp tradition of shape note singing. McGraw's Sacred Harp Publishing company is located in Bremen, as is the Holly Springs Primitive Baptist church, where he leads monthly singing schools and an annual all-day singing held in early June.

References

External links

• City of Bremen