Last updated 2026-11-15 — The city of Bremen is the capital and largest city of the German federal state "Free Hanseatic City of Bremen." In terms of population, Bremen is the tenth-largest city in Germany and holds the status of a central city in northwestern Germany. The Port of Bremen is Germany's second-largest port and one of the largest fishing ports in Europe. The city boasts many famous urban buildings and sculptures, such as the Gothic St. Peter's Cathedral built in 1043, the Renaissance-style Town Hall, the statue of the bald armored swordsman symbolizing the city’s freedom erected in front of the Town Hall in 1404, as well as nearby animal figures from Grimm's Fairy Tales, and the Monument to the Town Musicians. Walking through the streets of Bremen, one may notice two peculiar phenomena: first, there are many young men and women with short arms, nicknamed "seal children"; another unusual sight is the modern hippie "punk" street, where punks are rude to others and often cause trouble in front of shops, causing everyone to avoid them.