The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (official name, German: Freie Hansestadt Bremen) is one of Germany's 16 Bundesländer, the federal states of the country..
History
The City of Bremen became a Free City of the Holy Roman Empire, and hence a state, in 1646. In 1815, it became an independent country and was subsequently a member of the German Confederation and the North German Confederation. Several areas including the area on which the city of Bremerhaven was to be founded were purchased from Hanover in 1827. In 1871, Bremen joined the German Empire.
While Lower Saxony was put under British control after the end of World War II in 1945, Bremen was put under administration of the USA because the US occupation zone needed ocean access. As a result, Bremen retained its statehood even though, at this time, all other small states were merged into larger ones.
In 1905, Bremen had an area of 256 km², and a population of 263,000. In 1939, population was 450,000.
Politics
The Bürgerschaft (city assembly) elects two mayors of the city (Bürgermeister). One of these is then elected by the senate (which forms the executive branch) as president of the senate (Senatspräsident) and is thus head of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (official name, German: Freie Hansestadt Bremen).
Geography
The state of Bremen consists of two separated enclaves, the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven further downstream, on the shore of the North Sea (the name means Bremen's harbour). Both cities are completely surrounded by the neighbouring Bundesland of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen). Administratively both cities are district-free cities.
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