Rathscafé (Bremen)

The old Rathscafé (Town Council Café), now named Deutsches Haus, is a listed building on the market place (Marktplatz) in Bremen, Germany. It is part of the monument ensemble No. 1–21.

In the Middle Ages, a municipal wine-house was situated on the corner of Bremer Marktplatz/Liebfrauenkirchhof and Obernstrasse. Later on, the building was redecorated with a Renaissance gable. Until the 17th century, the building was used as a wine warehouse. Later on it passed into private ownership and was remodeled on several occasions. In 1900, it was used as a lingerie store. Thereafter, it was purchased by the city and demolished to provide space for a new building.

As the building was situated in the immediate neighbourhood of the Town Hall, it was decided to launch an architectural competition to attract bids for its reconstruction from throughout Germany. The competition was won by the young Bremen architect Rudolf Jacobs. In accordance with his designs, it was reconstructed between 1909 and 1911 as a four-storey building with a saddle roof on the Marktplatz which at that time was called Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz. Jacobs succeeded in creating a building which attracted expert attention. The building is an important component of the area's development given its relationship to the Marktplatz itself as well as to Unser-Lieben-Frauen-Kirchhof, the cemetery located opposite.

Built in the early 20th century, the building was inspired by the Heimatschutzarchitektur and Reformarchitektur trends, common in Germany at the time. Documenting the art and culture of the old town, the group of three gabled houses is decorated both outside and inside with items from excavations, collections and acquisitions. They include the freestone gable decorations, the 18th-century oriel windows, the portals and, inside the building, the 18th-century hallways.

The corner house which had been destroyed during the Second World War was rebuilt by the construction firm Paul Kossel in accordance with the plans of the architect Herbert Anker, closely in line with the original building. After reconstruction, the former Rathscafé received the name of Deutsches Haus. Destruction and reconstruction are the central theme of the sandstone reliefs. The interior was changed more extensively in 1956 except for the hall of the house on the corner of Hakenstrasse which remained unchanged. It was fitted with a hall from the Stövesandt House on the Geeren, maintaining its original staircases, doors and parapets with their Acanthus carvings, all from 1740.

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