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Whilst preserving the volume of the old buildings, the architects utilised traditional shapes and materials to design a historic-looking façade facing onto Böttcherstrasse. Behind it were the prestigious and modernly designed premises of Ludwig Roselius’ primary bank, which he named Bremen-Amerika-Bank.First work on the building: Kirsten Leuenroth: Das Haus des Glockenspiels (ehem. Bremen-Amerika-Bank), p. 102-116 in: Tallasch, Hans (ed.): Projekt Böttcherstraße, Delmenhorst 2002.
- which he named Bremen-Amerika-Bank.First work on the building: Kirsten Leuenroth: Das Haus des Glockenspiels (ehem. Bremen-Amerika-Bank), p. 102-116 in: Tallasch, Hans (ed.): Projekt Böttcherstraße, Delmenhorst 2002.
Background
Otto Schroeder established a bank at Wachtstrasse 40 on 1 April 1920. At the end of 1922, Ludwig Roselius bought into the bank, clearly with the intention of operating a primary bank to handle his business.Files with business records and reports as well as minutes have been preserved in the archive (Shelfmark 9.3.1). For more information on the history of the bank, please see Hans Tallasch’s essay: Die Bremen-Amerika-Bank AG (BAB) 1923–1942. On 17 September 1923, the name was changed to Bremen-Amerika-Bank and Kaffee HAG’s shareholding was fixed at 95%. Ludwig Roselius never offered any explanation for the unusual name, but it may be assumed that, after the expropriation of his American business in 1917 due to the USA’s entry into the war, he wanted to preserve the claim to his company there by using this name. The name also suggested a certain internationalityLudwig Roselius had campaigned for the founding of a world bank to combat inflation. Sönke Hundt: Kaffee HAG oder woher das Geld kam, p. 231, in: Tallasch, Hans (ed.): Projekt Böttcherstraße, Delmenhorst 2002 in the times of soaring inflation in Germany as a result of the war. On a general level, Roselius was thus emphasisingLudwig Roselius, Reden und Schriften, Bremen 1932, p. 9. the old ties of North America culture, which he was convinced to be shaped by “Low German” immigration.
A detailed article on the Bremen-Amerika-Bank is available here.
- operating a primary bank to handle his business.Files with business records and reports as well as minutes have been preserved in the archive (Shelfmark 9.3.1). For more information on the history of the bank, please see Hans Tallasch’s essay: Die Bremen-Amerika-Bank AG (BAB) 1923–1942.
- certain internationalityLudwig Roselius had campaigned for the founding of a world bank to combat inflation. Sönke Hundt: Kaffee HAG oder woher das Geld kam, p. 231, in: Tallasch, Hans (ed.): Projekt Böttcherstraße, Delmenhorst 2002
- Roselius was thus emphasisingLudwig Roselius, Reden und Schriften, Bremen 1932, p. 9.
Planning
Plans for the conversion of the old gabled houses at Böttcherstrasse 4 and 5 had already been drawn up previously, however, meaning they initially had nothing to do with the subsequent use as a bank. This is confirmed by the alterations made to the building plans: Roselius purchasedLeuenroth as Note. 1, p. 115 Note. 2. the two dilapidated buildings (Fig. 2) from the iron merchant H. R. Finke in 1918. The earliest construction drawingsInventory no. BP_3329, R&S no. 8286 and BP_3338, R&S no. 8853. date back to 1921 and still label the subsequent cashier’s hall as an “office”, then a “coffee room” in 1922. The fate of the façades of the two buildings from a historical preservation perspective was also not clear from the beginning by any means. Runge & Scotland first presented Roselius with a plan where as much as possible of the old façades would be preserved. The architects’ design (Fig. 3) from 1922 depicts the exterior layout of the two buildings almost unchanged: only the ground floor has three round-arched windows on the left instead of the large door. The fact that this design was merely a proposal to comply with preservation efforts is evident from the explanatory note below it: “with preservation of as much of the existing structure as possible, poor lighting due to retaining of the hatches.” This design corresponds to the ichnography on which the room is labelled as “coffee room”; the use as a bank has thus not yet been considered. However, the different storey heights of the two buildings have already been harmonised. The subsequently produced design (Fig. 4) includes the addition of another storey to the buildings and large windows for considerably better illumination of the interiors. In doing so, it takes into consideration the new use as a bank (Fig. 5).
- purchasedLeuenroth as Note. 1, p. 115 Note. 2.
- earliest construction drawingsInventory no. BP_3329, R&S no. 8286 and BP_3338, R&S no. 8853.
Exterior
A somewhat more detailed analysis here aims to illustrate the architects’ approach by means of an example: Runge & Scotland harmonised the two buildings with uniform storey and window heights (Fig. 5). Nevertheless, the different window sizes and the structure of the façade with sandstone edgings reveal that there were originally two separate properties. The windows are grouped in twos or threes and decrease in height in a well-proportioned manner from storey to storey. Narrow stringcourses indicate the heights of the storeys. Wall projections taper up to the second floor like buttresses, marking the boundaries of the former house No. 5 (left). In combination with the sandstone bars linking the windows, they lend the somewhat narrower former house No. 5 (left) a vertical tendency. Runge & Scotland’s finely balanced façade structure also includes the truncated round arches above the windows. Sandstone blocks alternate with arching bricks in the Weser RenaissanceFace brick façade designs combining bricks and sandstone as structural elements, which incorporate reduced aspects of the Weser Renaissance style, have been common in Bremen since the turn of the 20th century. Perhaps the most prominent example is Heinrich Rudolf Jacobs’ building at Am Markt 1 (1908–11). style. The detail of the two gables also differs: whilst the slightly narrower gable on the left (former No. 5) is completely framed by slanted bricks, the same is only true of the top section of the right gable (form. No. 4). Both gables terminate in a rotated pinnacle-like crowning, which Runge & Scotland adopted from the gable of house No. 6 (later Roselius House).
- Weser RenaissanceFace brick façade designs combining bricks and sandstone as structural elements, which incorporate reduced aspects of the Weser Renaissance style, have been common in Bremen since the turn of the 20th century. Perhaps the most prominent example is Heinrich Rudolf Jacobs’ building at Am Markt 1 (1908–11).
Façade in Wachtstrasse
The Schroeder bank, later to become the Bremen-Amerika-Bank, was located in Wachtstrasse, which was a considerably more prestigious address compared with Böttcherstrasse, due to it being the main road over the River Weser until the construction of Balgebrückstrasse. For this reason, Roselius planned the main entrance to the bank in Wachtstrasse. Accordingly, he purchased Wachtstrasse No. 32,Leuenroth as Note. 1, p. 115. Rudolf Stein (in Bremer Barock und Rokoko, Bremen 1960, p. 320 and Das Bremer Bürgerhaus, Tübingen 1970, p. 95) dates this building to the period of transition from baroque to neoclassicism 1770–1780 and offers a reconstructive façade elevation (Fig. 81) with the entrance to the building in the centre. The construction documents indicate (Leuenroth, p. 105) that Runge & Scotland must have completely gutted the building, as the ground floor ceiling in particular was raised considerably for the hall behind it. The brickwork of the façade also gives a renovated impression today. The façade would originally have been plastered. which was located on the other side of the block at the same level as the two buildings in Böttcherstrasse, and also had it renovated by Runge & Scotland. The two buildings in Böttcherstrasse then served as the rear of the bank. Today, it is the only preserved façade (Fig. 6) in Wachtstrasse offering an impression of how this Bremen thoroughfare looked before the war. A construction drawing (Fig. 7) of the final design confirms that the façade survived the war with the exception of the window layout and the entrance. The brick façade is broken up only by sandstone-framed windows in three axes and topped with a baroque Dutch gable. The high ground floor is completely clad with sandstone. Large lattice windows allow plenty of light to enter the cashier’s hall located behind.
- Wachtstrasse No. 32,Leuenroth as Note. 1, p. 115. Rudolf Stein (in Bremer Barock und Rokoko, Bremen 1960, p. 320 and Das Bremer Bürgerhaus, Tübingen 1970, p. 95) dates this building to the period of transition from baroque to neoclassicism 1770–1780 and offers a reconstructive façade elevation (Fig. 81) with the entrance to the building in the centre. The construction documents indicate (Leuenroth, p. 105) that Runge & Scotland must have completely gutted the building, as the ground floor ceiling in particular was raised considerably for the hall behind it. The brickwork of the façade also gives a renovated impression today. The façade would originally have been plastered.
Interior
The cashier’s hall (Fig. 8) on the ground floor extends as a long passage over almost 40 m from Wachtstrasse to Böttcherstrasse. The only interruption is an atrium opening up the view into the first floor. A sweeping, double-flight staircase adds a vertical accent. In contrast to the muted exterior of the building interspersed with historical elements, the interior is dedicated to the contemporary style of the first half of the 1920s. The balustrade of the staircase, the entrance door to the vault in the basement and the large lights were integrated by Runge & Scotland in the “Zackenstil” (a transition style between Romanesque and Gothic styles, lit. jagged style), which was considered extremely modern in 1923. The staircase pedestal at the entrance is adorned by a brass Gluckhenne (sitting hen) produced by the Bremen sculptor Engelhard Tölken (1882-1928). The sculpture makes reference to the folk tale relating the founding of Bremen,Friedrich Wagenfeld published the folk tale in 1844, according to which fishermen eager to establish a settlement discovered a hen calmly protecting her brood in the heather on a high dune on the banks of the River Weser. They took this as a sign to settle on the flood-proof dune. Said settlement would later develop into Bremen. The motif of the hen with chicks can also be found on the arcade spandrels of the nearby Bremen Town Hall, although there it is to be understood as a counterpart to the other image with a cockerel, as an emblem of vigilance (cockerel) and protection (hen). and the subject of the hen protecting her chicks is quite fortunately chosen for the entrance to the bank vault, especially in view of the inflationary period that had just been overcome.
The staircase leads to the first floor. The meeting room (Fig. 10) is reached via a gallery (Fig. 9) offering a view of the skylight decorated with jagged stars. The delicately coloured muralsLeuenroth as Note. 1, p. 106. with views of Bremen were designed by Ernst Müller-Scheessel. With this type of landscape room and the rococo-style stucco decorations, Runge & Scotland were making reference to the period when the house was built in the late 18th century. The administration offices were located on the Wachtstrasse side, while the filing and registration departments were in the side of the building facing Böttcherstrasse. Seehandel AG as the holding company of HAG and a number of small subsidiaries had their offices on the Böttcherstrasse side above the cashier’s hall.
Unfortunately, this impressive example of the decorative arts of the early 1920s was completely destroyed during the war in 1944, with the exception of the Gluckhenne sculpture, which is housed in the Böttcherstrasse archive. In 1958, Hoetger’s pupil Alfred Horling (1908–1961) revived the motif of the sitting hen and created a sculpture (Fig. 11) for the ledge on the wall projection on the north side of the building in Böttcherstrasse. It surveys the square in the middle of Böttcherstrasse, where crowds gather every day to listen to the carillon and see the painted panels in the tower.
- founding of Bremen,Friedrich Wagenfeld published the folk tale in 1844, according to which fishermen eager to establish a settlement discovered a hen calmly protecting her brood in the heather on a high dune on the banks of the River Weser. They took this as a sign to settle on the flood-proof dune. Said settlement would later develop into Bremen. The motif of the hen with chicks can also be found on the arcade spandrels of the nearby Bremen Town Hall, although there it is to be understood as a counterpart to the other image with a cockerel, as an emblem of vigilance (cockerel) and protection (hen).
- coloured muralsLeuenroth as Note. 1, p. 106.
The Glockenspiel
The space between the gables (Fig. 12) of the building on Böttcherstrasse is home to a Glockenspiel (carillon) comprising 30 bells made from Meissen porcelain installed on a metal frame. The story of the carillon is to be understood as separate from the use of the building as a bank and instead only concerns the tourist function that Böttcherstrasse has always enjoyed. In search of a new attraction, Ludwig Roselius was probably inspired to install a carillon in Böttcherstrasse while attending the International Hygiene Exhibition in Dresden in 1930. The exhibition in Dresden featured a free-standing tower with 40 playable porcelain bells, which were later transferred to the city’s Zwinger palatial complex. To make the carillon a real attraction, Roselius wanted to install a scene with figures moving along with the chiming of the bells, a familiar sight at some famous town halls since early modern times. The theme was to be maritime: for example, there is a drawing of a movable sailor in the Böttcherstrasse archive. The planning implementation of the idea took almost four years: Based on Runge & Scotland’s designs, the 30 bells were installed on a copper frame (Fig. 13) between the gables of the former storehouses in 1934. A tower was constructed between the Glockenspiel House and the Roselius House especially for the moving figures; however, instead of the moving figures, five wooden panels carved on both sides were mounted on a rotating drum based on designs by Bernhard Hoetger. The mechanism within the tower rotates each panel, making it possible to display ten different images in total. The sixth element is brickwork and visible when the tower is inactive. The images tell tales of Atlantic crossings, beginning with the Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson (Fig. 14) and ending with the Zeppelin (Fig. 15): the most modern means of transport of its time. The first carillon with bells painted gold on the inside and cobalt blue on the outside fell victim to the bombs dropped in World War II. Only eight bells (Fig. 16) survived, four of which were compiled to produce a temporary carillon in 1949.
Following completion of the reconstruction of Böttcherstrasse, a new carillon with 30 white bells, also from the Meissen porcelain factory, was installed in the still-existing frame in 1954. Extensive restoration began following the acquisition of Böttcherstrasse by the Sparkasse Bremen savings bank in 1988. This involved the installation of the now third carillon (Fig. 17) in 1990, as the carillon sounded out of tune after more than 30 years of operation and the replacement of two defective bells. The Turmuhrenbau Ferner company from Niederau near Meissen immediately equipped it with a modern electronic playing mechanism, which was converted to digital playing technology in 2009.
There is no evidence available to confirm the date of the official renaming of the Bremen-Amerika-Bank building as Glockenspiel House. The bank ceased its operations in 1942. In September 1948, the Nordsee-Zeitung newspaper reported on the reconstruction of Böttcherstrasse from a tourism perspective and gave the name of the building as “Haus des Glockenspiels” for the first time (Glockenspiel House).Nordsee-Zeitung on 18/09/1948. However, if director Edgar Puvogel’s memory served him correctly, the golden letters above the entrance had already been changed to “Haus des Glockenspiels” (Glockenspiel House) in 1946/47 (report in D-Konferenz of 30/10/1974), though this is not very credible, since it would not have been possible without making new letters and no invoice receipts can be found for the production of letters in this period.
A detailed article on the carillon is available to download here.
- (Glockenspiel House).Nordsee-Zeitung on 18/09/1948. However, if director Edgar Puvogel’s memory served him correctly, the golden letters above the entrance had already been changed to “Haus des Glockenspiels” (Glockenspiel House) in 1946/47 (report in D-Konferenz of 30/10/1974), though this is not very credible, since it would not have been possible without making new letters and no invoice receipts can be found for the production of letters in this period.
