9 Oct: Bremen

This post edited to add info about the strange metal plate in the Bremen town square, see below.

The trip really feels like it is winding down now. Today we completed the final day-trip in the plan, visiting the town of Bremen.

Bremen has a special place and reputation in German culture as an independent town that insists on doing things its own way. It symbol and guardian is the great knight Roland, a popular figure in Medieval culture. Bremen is known around the world from the title of the Grimm fairy tale, "The Musicians of Bremen" (Wikipedia about the story; full text for reading).

Only a few steps out of the Bremen Hauptbahnhof we turned and beheld the most magnificent Bahnhof we'd seen yet:

...an impression aided, no doubt, by the backdrop of blue sky, the first we'd seen in some time.

A few blocks further we found a sculpture of a swineherd and pigs. No fairy-tale connection here that we know of.

Rathaus and Rathaus Platz

The civic pride of Bremen is expressed in its magnificent Rathaus.

The basic structure was built in 1409, but in 1590 the merchant's guild put up a fancy building across the square. The city burghers were jealous and had their facade upgraded with "let's see you top this" decoration.

Standing in front is the city's icon and mascot, Roland.

Nearby is a charming sculpture by Gerhard Marcks of the Musicians of the tale.

If you make a wish holding the donkey's left foot, your wish will be granted.

Now, here's a puzzle (edited and expanded with a solution 14 Oct.) This plate is set in the ground across from the Rathaus, not near the Musicians sculpture. It is not mentioned in either of our guide-books, but we were led to it by watching other people. If you drop a coin (any coin) in the slot, the sound of one of the four musicians (cat, rooster, dog, donkey) will play loudly several times.

Google translate fail.

The outer lines of text read

WILHELM KAISEN BURGERHILFE
DER FREIN HANSESTADT BREMEN

The latter is "The Free Hanseatic City Bremen," emphasizing that Bremen was self-governing and a member of the Hanseatic league of cities, but we couldn't make sense of the first line nor of the lines in the center,

Kreih nich
Jaul nich
Knurr nich
Segg I aa Doh wat rin
In't Bremer loch

The puzzle was cleared up by our friend Wally, who writes in part,

I've gone to two authoritative sources for the answers to your Bremen mystery concerning the wording on the perforated brass plate across from the Rathaus. Cathy L. in San Francisco is my German-to-English translator... [and] Jutta S. ... was born outside of Bremen during World War II and still has a condo in Bremen that she lives in 3 months a year... Both of these experts gave me detailed concurring answers which I will meld together and pass on to you.

The name in the upper ring is not Kaiser Wilhelm, but Wilhelm Kaisen. Kaisen was born in Hamburg of a very poor family and had only a grade school education. After World War I he moved to his wife's city of Bremen, became a city councilman and in 1928 held a position called Senator of Social Service. From 1945 to 1965 Wilhelm Kaisen was mayor of Bremen. A fund has been established in his name to raise money to help needy people of various sorts in Bremen. The words in the upper ring refer to the Wilhelm Kaisen Citizens Assistance Fund. As you know, the purpose of the holes in the plate are to receive coins for this fund.

The words in the middle are in the low German of the Bremen area and not in standard German. They refer to the animal musicians that are activated by dropped coins. Cathy had to translate the low German into standard German and then into English to get: "Don't crow, don't yelp, don't growl, say yes and put something in Bremen's hole." Jutta's translation is similar and perhaps a bit freer: "Don't cry, don't growl, don't complain, say yes and put something in Bremen's slot."

My friend says he was told by a nurse in Bremen that the current major use of the funds raised is to help children with cancer.

Thanks to Wally M. and his friends for the explanation!

Böttcherstrasse

From the Rathaus square we headed down Böttcherstrasse. Once an alley inhabited by craftsmen, this narrow lane was in the 1920s purchased and renovated by Ludwig Roselius, who had gotten rich from his invention of decaffeinated coffee. He encouraged a sort of Jugendstil look, called by one of our guidebooks "a combination of Gothic and Art Nouveau." The entry to the alley is overseen by a gilded relief called "The Bringer of Light."

The alley is so narrow you can get a crick in your neck trying to see many of its features (and as for getting a decent photo, forget it).

The alley buildings are occupied by art galleries, museums, and high-end shops.

Window sill support in Bochterstrasse

Elaborate brickwork.

Partway along we heard, and by pushing into a packed crowd, saw, this tiny carillon whose bells are made of Meissen porcelain.

Its noon concert seemed to end but after a few seconds of silence it played "shave and a haircut two bits" producing a big laugh from the crowd.

Nearby was a small fountain with really cute figures of the Musicians.

And So On

We had lunch in a cafe in a former fishermen's neighborhood, now a quaint district of narrow alleys full of tourists, then headed back through the Rathaus plaza where we poked into the Dom.

Dom from a main street, Rathaus in front.

This guy was guarding the door.

Ow! ow ow ow... ouchie ouchie ... ow!

It was quite colorful inside.

Earl directed us past the Department of Weights and Measures,

We get the balance scale but why an angry cherub?

...and then on to the green perimeter of town where they have thoughtfully placed a windmill for a visual accent.

From there we headed home—well, the Hotel Kronprinz is starting to feel like home after 9 days—and then had a disappointment. We strolled down Monkbergestrasse, the insanely busy shopping street of Hamburg, to a church where we'd previously noted the time for an organ concert this evening. Or thought we had, but the church was dark when we got there. So no music after all.