The Ratskeller in Bremen is the cellar of the Town Hall of Bremen

Town Hall of Bremen

The Town Hall of Bremen is the seat of the President of the Senate of Bremen and of the Mayor of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. It is one of the most important examples of Brick Gothic architecture in Europe...

. Since it was erected in the year 1405, German wine

German wine

German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of the German wine production is situated in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where 6 of the 13 regions ...

s were stored and sold there. With its history over 600 years the Ratskeller of Bremen

Bremen

The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...

 is the oldest wine cellar

Wine cellar

A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not...

 of Germany, furthermore the oldest wine barrel of Germany, a wine from Rüdesheim which is dated 1653, is stored here.

In the cellar there has being a traditional tavern

Tavern

A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....

 and today a large part of it is a gourmet restaurant

Restaurant

A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

.

History

Since 1330 the Council of Bremen held the privilege of white wine which was valid until 1815. No citizen should sell wine without the permission of the Council. All wines had to be stored in the Cellar of the Council. The purpose was to control the prices and the payment of taxes.

Rooms of the Cellar

• The large Hall
• In front of the Bacchus
• Hauff's Hall
• The Rose Cellar
• The Rooms for the Senate of Bremen
  Senate of Bremen
  The Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is the government of the city-state of Bremen . The senate has existed since mediæval times. The senate is headed by a President, who also holds the title of Mayor. The President's deputy also holds the title Mayor...
  
   and the Kaiser
• The Bacchus Cellar
• Treasure Room

Famous Guests

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Literature

Hermann Entholt: The Ratskeller in Bremen. Translated from the German by Harold Styring, Bremen 1930.