As early as 1820, the silting of the River Weser had become so serious that Bremen was in danger of losing its preeminence as a seaport.
For this reason, the Mayor of the time, Johann Smidt, decided to negotiate with the Kingdom of Hanover on the acquisition of land at the confluence of the rivers Geeste and Weser with a view to building a port there.
And so it came about that Bremen purchased 88.7 hectares of grazing land from Hanover on January 11, 1827. The land was limited in the west by the River Weser and in the south and east by the River Geeste. Work was immediately started on a port basin and lock.
Reference:
Armgart, Arno. Bremen, Bremerhaven, New York : Geschichte der europäischen Auswanderung über die Bremischen Häfen = A history of European emigration through the ports of Bremen. Bremen 1991
Picture: Hans-Jürgen Darlison