Westlich der Brautstraße liegt die Westerstraße. A street named for its position. Imagine the medieval Bremen. The Westerstraße was then the main entrance to the old town. A vital artery for the bustling city.
The Alte Neustadt grew in the 17th century. A planned expansion on the west side of the Weser River. Fortifications surrounded this new area. The Herrlichkeitzwinger stood proudly. This was the largest tower of the powder towers. It exploded in 1739. A dramatic event. The fortifications were later removed. The area remained sparsely populated.
By 1682 the baroque St Pauli Church stood. It was opposite the Neuen Markt. The Alte Neustadt developed around it. In 1737 the Kleiner Roland appeared. A statue and fountain. The Hauptwache a central guardhouse was located on the north side of Westerstraße. It was demolished in 1817. The imperial post office was relocated to the Eschenhof. This was around 1745.
The Grüne Kamp a large open space existed in the 18th century. It was between Westerstraße Grüne Straße and the Alte Allee. This is now the Langemarckstraße. A Freischule a free school once stood on Westerstraße. It housed up to 1000 students. It closed in 1931 due to disrepair. The Bulthauptschule was located nearby. Friedrich Ebert the future Reichspräsident opened a pub on Brautstraße in 1894.
The bombings of 1944-45 devastated parts of the Alte Neustadt. Westerstraße was heavily damaged. Today the area is home to around 6145 people. The Westerstraße is a reminder of the city’s rich past and its resilience. A place where history and modernity coexist. This bustling street echoes the sounds of the past and the energy of the present. Explore this fascinating piece of Bremen’s history.