Kunstsammlungen Bottcherstrasse

Böttcherstraße in Bremen's Old Town is a lane just 108 meters long, yet as an architectural ensemble of Expressionism it ranks among the city's most important sights. Its present form owes much to the coffee merchant and patron of the arts Ludwig Roselius, who between 1922 and 1931 commissioned several architects and sculptors to give the street its artistic character. The buildings, made of brick, sandstone, glass, steel, and concrete, present a rare mix of brick Expressionism and modernist forms. The ensemble has been a protected historic monument since 1973 and is now managed by the Stiftung Bremer Sparer-Dank foundation. Despite its short length, it is considered one of the city's most important cultural axes, completely open to pedestrians and providing a direct link to the Weser River.

On Böttcherstraße, you'll find a dense concentration of museums, craft workshops, and places to eat and drink. A central point is the Roselius House, whose foundations date back to the 14th century and which now serves as a museum. Equally significant is the Paula Becker-Modersohn House, whose organically shaped interiors and relief-like exterior walls form a strong contrast to the other buildings and which now houses the Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum. The Haus Atlantis, built in the Art Deco style, impresses with its geometric modernism and now forms part of a hotel, though the historic Himmelssaal (Heaven Hall) has been preserved. Other highlights include the House of the Glockenspiel with its famous musical automaton and the Robinson Crusoe House, which recalls the pioneering spirit of the Hanseatic merchants.

The history of the street is closely tied to the Nazi era, when Böttcherstraße was criticized as an example of "degenerate art" and partly altered. After heavy destruction in World War II, the facades were restored to their original state by 1954. Today the historic architecture blends with lively city life, as the street not only holds museum treasures but, with its shops, restaurants, and the hotel in Haus Atlantis, is also an attractive spot for tourists and locals alike. The careful restoration and preservation of the sculptures and reliefs, many of them by Bernhard Hoetger, make Böttcherstraße a unique testament to German cultural history between the World Wars.