The first market in Bremen was set for October 16, 1035 in the area around the Church of Our Lady (Kirche Unser Lieben Frauen). This date was chosen, as farmers needed to purchase goods in order to stock up for the harsh German winter. Along with the traders, Freimarkt also featured traveling entertainers such as jugglers, fortune tellers, clowns and minstrels (performers who sang and recited poetry).
From 1356 to the mid-1600s, the Hanseatic League controlled trade around Bremen. This was an organization made up of almost 200 cities along the North Sea and Baltic Sea (see if you can find these on a map!). The League was formed in order to connect northwest and northeast Europe through a giant trade network. What did they trade, you ask? Some of the goods included furs, grain, fish, wood and potatoes. In Bremen, Hanseatic merchants kept the Freimarkt tradition alive.
It was only after the first railroads were opened in the mid-1800s that Freimarkt 's atmosphere shifted from a market to more of a carnival. I'm sure you have learned about railroads in the United States and how they allowed people and products to criss-cross the country. The same thing happened in Europe! Railway lines were a key feature of the environment that allowed parts to be brought in and put together into carousels and "ring the bell" games. From that point onwards, Freimarkt continued to grow in size and in the diversity of its attractions.
