Prior to 19th century

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• 787 CE - Catholic diocese of Bremen formed.
• 848 CE - Transfer of the archiepiscopal see of Hamburg to Bremen.
• 965 CE - Adaldag archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen given ruling powers by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
• 1186 - Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor grants privilegium to the townspeople.
• 1220's - Bremen Cathedral construction began.
• 1223 – Archbishopric relocated to Bremen from Hamburg.
• 1230 – Church of Our Lady rebuilt (approximate date).
• 1243 – St. Ansgarius church built (approximate date).
• 1247 - Location of Schlachte settled by local citizens and traders.
• 1283 - Bremen admitted to the Hanseatic League but was excluded in 1285.
• 1304 - "The commonalty rose against the patricians and drove them from the city."
• 1358 - Bremen re-admitted to the Hanseatic League.
• 1409 – Town Hall built.
• 1427 – Bremen re-excluded from the Hanseatic League.
• 1433 – Bremen re-admitted to the Hanseatic League.
• 1522 - The Reformation was introduced into Bremen.
• 1532 - Bremen joins the Schmalkaldic League.
• 1588 – Stadtwaage built.
• 1618 - Protestantism definitively proclaimed as the state religion.
• 1619 – Cloth-traders' guild hall built.
• 1630
  • Lübeck-Hamburg-Bremen defensive alliance formed.
  • Shipper's House built.
• 1644 - Frederick II of Denmark deposed by the Swedes.
• 1654 & 1666 - Swedish Wars on Bremen.
• 1675 – Bremen-Verden Campaign.
• 1682 - Bremen Exchange construction began of a single story building.
• 1720 - George I., elector of Hanover recognized Bremen as a free city.
• 1790 - City directory published.
• 1792 – Bremer Stadttheater (1792) [de] (theatre) built.

19th century

• 1807 - Population: 36,041.
• 1806 - Bremen taken by the French.
• 1810 – Bremen becomes part of the French Empire.
• 1815 - Congress of Vienna restores its independence.
• 1823
  • Art Society founded.
  • St. John's Church rededicated as a Catholic church
• 1827 – Bremerhaven (seaport) established.
• 1847
  • Bremen Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) opens.
  • Wunstorf–Bremen railway opens.
• 1849 – Kunsthalle (art museum) built.
• 1857 – Norddeutscher Lloyd shipping company in business.
• 1862 - Population: 67,217.
• 1866 – Bremen joins the North German Confederation.
• 1867
  • Exchange built.
  • Oldenburg–Bremen railway opened.
  • Population: 74,574.
• 1868 – 10 April: Premiere of Brahm's German Requiem.
• 1871
  • End of Bremen independence, city becomes part of the German Empire.
  • Population: 82,969.
• 1872 – AG Weser in business.
• 1874 – Agricultural exhibition held.
• 1875
  • Kaiserbrucke (bridge) built.
  • Population: 102,499.
• 1876 – Horse tramway begins operating.
• 1878 – Post office built.
• 1885 - Population: 118,395.
• 1888
  • Bremen joins German Customs Union.
  • Bremen Hauptbahnhof (train station) re-built.
• 1890
  • Bremer Straßenbahn active.
  • Population: 124,955.
• 1892 – Electric tramway begins operating.
• 1893 – Bremer Vulkan shipbuilder in business.
• 1895 – Law courts built.
• 1900 – Population: 186,822; state 248,407.

20th century

1900-1945

• 1901 – Bremen Cathedral great restoration completed.
• 1902 – Kunsthalle (art museum) enlarged.
• 1905 – Population: 214,953; state 263,673.
• 1906 – Production of decaffeinated Kaffee Hag coffee begins.
• 1911 – Rathscafé built.
• 1913
  • Bremen Airport established.
  • New Town Hall and Theater am Goetheplatz built.
  • 20 June: Bremen school shooting.
• 1919 – Population: 257,923.
• 1920 – New constitution put into effect.
• 1923 – Bremer Flugzeugbau aircraft manufactory in business.
• 1925 – Fahrzeugwerke Borgward automobile manufactory in business.
• 1928 – Population: 302,949.
• 1932 – Reichskolonialehrendenkmal [de] (monument) unveiled.
• 1933
  • March: Nazis take control of executive Senate. Nazi Richard Markert becomes mayor.
  • May: Placed in a united Reich Governorship with Oldenburg under Carl Röver.
  • October: Bürgerschaft (state parliament) is dissolved.
• 1939
  • Aumund, Blumenthal, Fähr, Farge, Grohn, Hammersbeck, Lobbendorf, Rekum [de; nds], Schönebeck, and Vegesack become part of city.
  • August: Polish libraries seized by the Gestapo.
  • September: Mass arrests of local Polish activists (see also Nazi crimes against the Polish nation).
  • Population: 431,800.
• 1940
  • May: Bombing of Bremen in World War II begins.
  • May: Bremen-Blumenthal forced labour camp for men established.
• 1942 – 2nd SS construction brigade (forced labour camp) established by the SS.
• 1943 – Bremen-Farge subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp established. The prisoners were mostly French, Polish and Soviet men.
• 1944
  • 15 April: 2nd SS construction brigade relocated to Berlin.
  • 2 August: Bremen-Hindenburgkaserne subcamp of Neuengamme established. Its prisoners were Jewish women.
  • 16 August: Bremen-Neuenland subcamp of Neuengamme established. Its prisoners were mostly French and Soviet men.
  • August: Bremen-Blumenthal subcamp of Neuengamme established. Its prisoners were mostly Belgian, French, Polish, Soviet and Jewish men.
  • 26 September: Bremen-Hindenburgkaserne subcamp of Neuengamme dissolved and Bremen-Obernheide subcamp established. Prisoners moved from Hindenburgkaserne to Obernheide.
  • 28 November: Bremen-Neuenland subcamp of Neuengamme dissolved and Bremen-Osterort subcamp established. Prisoners moved from Neuenland to Osterort.
  • 25/26 December: Bremen-Schützenhof subcamp of Neuengamme established. Its prisoners were mostly Jewish men.

• 1945
  • 4 April: Bremen-Obernheide subcamp of Neuengamme dissolved. Prisoners sent on a death march to Uesen.
  • 6 April: Bremen-Osterort subcamp of Neuengamme dissolved. Prisoners moved to the Bremen-Farge subcamp.
  • 7–9 April: Blumenthal and Schützenhof subcamps of Neuengamme dissolved. Prisoners moved to the Bremen-Farge subcamp.
  • 10 April: Bremen-Farge subcamp of Neuengamme dissolved. Prisoners either sent on death marches to Bremervörde and Sandbostel or deported by train towards the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
  • 22 April: Bombing of Bremen in World War II ends.
  • April: City captured by British forces.
  • Wilhelm Kaisen becomes mayor.

1946-1990s

• 1947 – State of Bremen reestablished.
• 1949 – Becomes a constituent state of West Germany.
• 1956 – Population: 507,952.
• 1964 – Bremen-Arena opens.
• 1966
  • 28 January: Airplane crash.
  • Bürgerschaft (parliament) building and Zoo Bremen [de] open.
• 1983 – Bremer Shakespeare Company founded.
• 1986 – Bremen TV tower erected.
• 1990 – Population: 551,219.
• 1992 – Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen active.
• 1999
  • 6 June: Bremen state election, 1999 held.
  • Fatih Mosque, Bremen [de] built.

21st century

• 2003
  • City hosts the 2003 European Karate Championships.
  • 25 May: Bremen state election, 2003 held.
• 2005 – Jens Böhrnsen becomes mayor.
• 2007 – 13 May: Bremen state election, 2007 held.
• 2010 – Bremen S-Bahn begins operating.
• 2011 – 22 May: Bremen state election, 2011 held.
• 2012 – Population: 547,976.
• 2014 – City hosts the 2014 World Karate Championships.
• 2015 - 10 May: 2015 Bremen state election
• 2015 - 17 July: Carsten Sieling becomes mayor.
• 2019 - 26 May: 2019 Bremen state election
• 2019 - 15 August: Andreas Bovenschulte becomes mayor.

See also

• History of Bremen
• List of mayors of Bremen
• List of administrative units in Bremen [de]