BREMEN (brAimen), a city of Ger many, formerly an independent member of the Empire, one of the three Hanse towns, on the Weser, about 50 miles from its mouth, in its own small territory of 99 square miles, besides which it posses ses the port of Bremerhaven, at the mouth of the river. The city is partly on the right, partly on the left, bank of the Weser, the larger portion being on the former. It contains the cathedral, founded about 1050, the old Gothic Coun cil house, with the famous wine cellar below it, the Town Hall, the Merchants' House, and the Old and the New Ex :hange. The Vorstadt, or suburbs, lying -in the right bank, outside the ramparts of the old town, are extensive. The manufacturing establishments consist of tobacco and cigar factories, sugar re fineries, rice mills, iron foundries, ma chine works, rope and sail works, and shipbuilding yards. Its situation ren ders Bremen the emporium for Hanover, Brunswick, Hesse, and other countries traversed by i the Weser, and next to i Hamburg it s the principal seat of the export and import and emigration trade of Germany. Only small vessels can pass
up to the city itself; the great bulk of the shipping trade centers in Bremer haven and Geestemiinde. Bremerhaven has docks capable of receiving the largest vessels, and is connected by railway with Bremen. The chief imports are tobacco, raw cotton and cotton goods, wool and woolen goods, rice, coffee, grain, petro leum, etc. Pop. with Bremerhaven, about 248,000.
Bremen was made a bishopric by Charlemagne about 788, was afterward made an archbishopric, and by the end of the 14th century had become virtually a free imperial city. The present consti tution is in most respects republican and was adopted in 1854. The legislative authority is shared by a Senate of 18 citizens, elected for life, and an as sembly of 150 citizens, elected for 6 years. The executive lies with the Sen ate and Senatorial committees.