For more than 30 years, EU funding has helped support the transformation of Bremerhaven’s abandoned harbour into one of northern Germany’s most popular visitor attractions. The regeneration which began in the early 1990s is still going on, with restaurants, shops, historic ships, shops and a packed calendar of events attracting hundreds of thousands of guests each year.
From decline to renewal
Bremerhaven’s fishing harbour, founded in 1896, was once a European stronghold of trawling, with fish transported as far as Austria and Switzerland. When international quotas were introduced and trawlers were obliged to stop landing their catches, the site was forced to close after nearly 100 years and rapidly fell into decline. In the early 1990s, the federal states of Bremen and local development company FBG made the bold choice to reinvent it as a themed destination centred on fish. The restoration of Hall IV in 1992, preserving its historic structure while housing restaurants and shops, set the tone for the area’s rebirth.
A harbour transformed
Over the years, a wide range of attractions have reshaped the district. The fish station, built in 1996 and later expanded, became a centre for exhibitions and performances. The fish cooking studio, launched in 2014, introduced interactive cooking shows and culinary workshops. The fishing village, a cluster of reconstructed cottages, brought in small shops and artisans. The harbour terraces and floating jetty created welcoming public spaces, while the side trawler Gera was restored as a floating museum. The latest highlight, Fischbahnhof360°, opened in 2023, offers an immersive film journey through the history of fishing and the underwater world.
The site continues to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, with more than 25 events hosted in the former harbour, including a renowned fish party and harbour spectacle during the Bremerhaven herring festival. The success has spilled over into the wider community, with local businesses benefitting from the ever-increasing numbers of visitors to what is now one of the city’s most photographed and recognisable landmarks.
Continuity of funding vital
The steady transformation of what was once an industrial wasteland into a thriving cultural, historical and gastronomic hub was made possible thanks to support from a number of different EU funding programmes over the decades, including the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
European money has helped repair, restore and modernise the buildings as well as finance the exhibitions, support the marketing and visitor services. The continuity of the support has ensured that the site has the resources to innovate and scale to become a flagship attraction.
Success was not always guaranteed, however, as Sebastian Gregorius, head of department at the Fischereihafen-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH and member of the Bremerhaven Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG), explains: “Although there were sceptical voices at the beginning, we have succeeded in turning an industrial wasteland into an authentic and lively centre. Like a shop window, it gives visitors an insight into the fishing industry, informs them about its importance, and makes the diversity of fish tangible. Today it has become a place of regional significance that uniquely combines tradition and innovation in the fishing sector.”
More information
Website of the Fishharbour
Website of the floating museum Gera