Venues

Domsheide 6–8
28195 Bremen 
Directions via Google Maps

Herbert von Karajan counted the Glocke among the three finest concert halls in Europe. Dame Margaret Price was equally effusive: "For singers, the Glocke is the best hall in the world!" Its exceptional acoustics have earned the venue a reputation as a first-rate concert house over many decades. The unique Art Deco atmosphere of its auditoriums and foyer, combined with its supremely central location on Domsheide — right beside Bremen's historic market square — give the Glocke its singular character.

Whether the concert hall takes its name from a bell that once hung in a small tower nearby is difficult to verify with any certainty. What is known is that the chapter house, or Domstift, was built in the 9th century and served initially as a monastery. It went on to function as a state warehouse and a venue for the Artists' Association, before being converted into a concert hall in 1869. After a major fire in 1915 destroyed the Artists' Association concert room, a new building was constructed and inaugurated in 1928 under the resonant name Die Glocke. It remained in use until 1944. After the war, the largely undamaged building housed an American army club and a cinema. Following its official return to the city, the Glocke once again became the heart of cultural life in Bremen — while continuing to draw the world's finest classical musicians. International luminaries of the 20th-century repertoire shared the stage here with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, and the Swedish pop group ABBA.

After nearly seven decades of continuous use, the building was in need of extensive restoration, and underwent a thorough renovation between 1995 and 1997. The principal challenge facing architects Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Müller-Menckens and Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Rosenbusch was to reconcile the requirements of listed-building status with those of a modern, fully operational concert venue. The great majority of the original fabric was successfully preserved — as was the hall's celebrated and irreplaceable acoustics.

Visit the Glocke website

Sandstraße 10-12
28195 Bremen
Directions via Google Maps

Bremen's St Petri Cathedral occupies a commanding position in the city's fabric, standing on the highest point of a former ridge of dunes to the right bank of the Weser. A place of Christian worship has stood on this site for over 1,200 years — serving as a metropolitan church from 789 until 1648, and as a parish church ever since.

As far back as the 14th century, accounts speak of the organ being in frequent use in the cathedral. The earliest instrument of which anything is recorded may have been installed following the completion of the north nave at the beginning of the 16th century. Today, St Petri is home to no fewer than five organs.

Both venues are situated in the heart of Bremen city centre, and can be reached from the main railway station in approximately five minutes by public transport or taxi.