Germany, Bremen

Bremen is a port city, situated along the river Weser, about 60 km (37 mi) south from its mouth on the North Sea.

In 2005, the population of the city was estimated to be 545,983 (the state with the city Bremerhaven having a population of 664,080), while the metropolitan area of Bremen-Oldenburg has a population of more than 2.37 million. Thus, Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.

History

In 150 AD, the geographer Claudius Ptolemaeus described Fabiranum or Phabiranum, known today as Bremen. In that time the Chauci lived in the area what is now call northwestern Germany or Lower Saxony.

The first stone city walls were built in 1032. Around this time trade with Norway, England and the northern Netherlands began to grow, increasing the importance of the city.

In 1947, Nordmende was founded, a manufacturer of entertainment electronics. In 1958, OHB-System was founded, a manufacturer of medium-sized spaceflight satellites.

Population history
1900: 161,200
1925: 295,000
1969: 607,184
1998: 550,0004
2006: 546,900

Education

The University of Bremen is the largest university in Bremen 5. Furthermore Bremen has a University of the Arts and the University of Applied Sciences, more recently the Jacobs University Bremen.

Miscellaneous

Several high-tech industries have settled in the city. Many of Germany's space technology exports are manufactured in EADS SPACE Transportation facilities in Bremen, such as the Columbus module of the International Space Station, Europe's Ariane 5 rocket upper stages and the Automated Transfer Vehicle.