- Schnoor
Schnoor is the name of a street in the oldest part of the city of
Bremen and also a name for the oldest quarter itself.History
Here are the roots of the Hanseatic city Bremen. The quarter Schnoor was the economical centre since early history. Fishermen, craftsmen and traders were the first Bremers and settled in the 10th century, searching the proximity of the river. They built thatched cottages on the little tiny island between the rivers
Weser and Balge. It is said that the Weser formerly was a side branch of the Balge.The first ferry service was installed here, and the first bridge crossing the Weser was built around the year 1240. You can find an old wall and parts of a round tower which was erected around 1200 near the so called "Marterburg".
In the 13th century the
Franciscan monks had settled and their St. John's church was constructed in the following decades.Development
Today the oldest houses date back to the 15th century, most of them are from the 17th and 18th century. While other parts of Bremen developed with lands of about one square kilometer and merchant's villas, the lands in the Schnoor have areas which are just enough for a one-man-housing with 55 square meters. The small streets were not suitable for the growing traffic since the 19th century. So the quarter developed to one of the poorest parts of Bremen. This situation prevented renovations. During the
Second World War the Schnoor suffered only few damages, so that owners of the houses had to pay a "Lastenausgleich" after 1945. But by the mid-1950s the houses were in a pitiable state.The Senate of the Free Hanseatic Town of Bremen decided in 1959 to rebuild the historical area of the Schnoor. House owners were invited to restore rundown constructions with financial support by the State of Bremen. This was a development in contrast to the common practice in many towns in
Germany andEurope until the late 1970s.The situation changed with the "
Venice Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites" 1964 so that after 1970 the Schnoor became a historic district under official heritage conservation through the State Monument Authority.One of the most famous houses which are originally conserved is the "Schifferhaus" in the street Stavendamm.
Literature
"Der Schnoor in Bremen. A portrait." Textes in German, English, French and Spanish. Edition Temmen, Bremen 2004.
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