Holz- und Fabrikenhafen

Have you ever wondered about the history of Bremen’s Holz- und Fabrikenhafen? It’s right here, nestled along the Weser River. The Holz- und Fabrikenhafen, often simply called Holzhafen, has a rich history; it was built in 1891 as a landing place for timber and grain. The demand for European and overseas timber was growing rapidly towards the end of the 19th century. This growing demand made the existing port at Woltmershauser Kanal too small. Consequently, the Bremen Chamber of Commerce called for more space to handle timber. The Bremer Rat, the city council, designated an area on the Waller Wied for a new harbor basin.
The Holz- und Fabrikenhafen was completed in 1891-1892 and was soon full of businesses, especially grain mills. The northern bank of the harbor was expanded in 1899, making it possible to build Cuxhavener Straße on top of it. In 1902, more developments took place along the harbor’s edge, and in 1906, the unloading bridges on the south bank were raised. You can see right here that the harbor basin extends about 1,500 meters long and is about 80 meters wide on average. The basin is connected to the Unterweser via the Getreidehafen (Grain Harbor) and a turning basin. Today, Holz- und Fabrikenhafen is a sprawling industrial and commercial area with about 40 businesses located there. The once bustling harbor is now a quiet industrial park. Its industrial area once catered mostly to ship traffic, but now it is mostly served by trucks.
At the head of the harbor, you see the former Fire Station 5 and Customs Office. It was built in 1907 based on plans drawn up by the architect Ludwig Beermann. Today, the former carriage hall houses a restaurant, while the other spaces now serve as offices. In 1991, the Holz- und Fabrikenhafen saw 1,100 ships pass through. However, by 1998, that number had shrunk to just 600. Today, the harbor is still a vital part of the city of Bremen, but it’s a reminder of how times have changed and how industrial shipping has evolved.