Schütting (Bremen)

The Schütting, situated on the Marktplatz (market square) in Bremen, initially served the city's merchants and tradesmen as a guild house.

Therefore, in 1444, they sold the house in the Langenstraße and bought another one, situated between the lower end of the market square (opposite of the town hall) and river Balge, a branch of the Weser.

In 1547, the merchants of Bremen charged the Flemish mason and architect Johann den Buschener from Antwerp, who constructed a new building in 1538/39.

Buschener only completed the stepped western gable, which is on the borderline of Late Gothic and of Renaissance style, and the main entrance, which was not yet central.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the façade was altered several times: In 1756, Theophilus Freese removed the decentral entrance by a decent central one and reduced the number of horizontal cornices, thus changing the style to a modest kind of Baroque.

In mid 19th century the line of low shops in front of the basement was removed, and for the first time a twin staircase to the entrance door was built.

Above the door, a Low German inscription was added, lately invented by Bremen's mayor Otto Gildemeister (literally "Outside and in, risk it and win") was added as a motto, meaning that merchants from Bremen are called upon to risk their assets at home and abroad in order to gain fortune.

The firm which performed the work received an award in 2010 from the Landesamt für Denkmalspflege (State of Bremen office for the preservation of monuments and historic buildings).