The Bremen Cotton Exchange Building (Danish: Gebäude der Bremer Baumwollbörse) was built in 1902 on the market square in Bremen, Germany, to house the offices of the Cotton Exchange founded in 1872.[1][2]
Background
editSince 1788, when it first arrived in Bremen on emigrant ships returning from North America, cotton has been an important commodity for the city of Bremen. In 1894, over a million bales of cotton were unloaded, reaching a maximum of 2.6 million bales in 1927.[3] In 1872, the Committee for the Cotton Trade (Komité für den Baumwollhandel) was created to promote the interests of those involved in the cotton trade. Banks, shipping companies, cotton mills and insurance companies later became members. In 1900, work began on the construction of the Cotton Exchange Building in the centre of Bremen.[4] Today, the Rules of the Bremen Cotton Exchange are a useful reference in drawing up contracts and solving disputes.[2]
Architecture
editJohann Poppe (1837–1915), who had been successful in building some of Bremen's large public buildings including the waterworks (1873) and the library (1896), was selected as the architect for the Cotton Exchange. Located on the corner of Wachtstraße and the Marktplatz, the building which originally had five storeys was completed in 1902. It combined the latest techniques (becoming Bremen's first steel-framed building) with a high degree of functionality and an imposing Neo-Renaissance facade.[5] The carefully designed interiors can still be seen today, especially the stairway with railings by Hermann Prell and the mozaics in the main entrance by Puhl & Wagner.[1]
As a result of weathering, the richly decorated outer walls of sandstone had to be almost completed renewed from 1922 to 1924 under the supervision of Otto Blendermann.[5]
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Cotton Exchange in 1908 -
Staircase -
Entrance hall mozaics -
Ground-floor corridor -
Relief
References
edit- ^ a b "Database Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Bremen". (in German)
- ^ a b "Bremer Baumwollbörse Bremen Cotton Exchange". International Cotton Advisory Committee. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- ^ "Trade City by the River: Cotton in Bremen". Übersee-Museum. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- ^ "Bremen Cotton Exchange / Data of history". Bremen Baumwollbörse. Retrieved 8 Febraury 2014.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b "Tag des offenen Denkmals am Sonntag, 9. September 2012: Baumwollbörse". Bremen: Landesamt für Denkmalpflege. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
External links
edit53°04′28″N 8°48′26″E / 53.07444°N 8.80722°E
Category:Buildings and structures in Bremen (city) Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1902 Category:Gothic Revival architecture in Germany Category:Renaissance Revival architecture in Germany