by McKenna Hillman ’25

The Osterdeich during sunset (photo taken by Dickinson in Bremen volunteer Ege)!

If there is anything I miss about Bremen after returning to the US, it has to be the Osterdeich. Of course, there are other things to miss, but it’s hard to beat an evening stroll along the Weser, dodging cyclists and sharing a quiet moment on a bench with a stranger. I was lucky enough to live on the edge of the Viertel, just a few minutes’ walk away from the Osterdeich—a distance I never hesitated to take advantage of.

My roommate, a public health student who shared my penchant for arts and crafts, first showed me the Osterdeich at night on a freezing February evening. I can no longer remember why we were up so late, but her suggestion of a short walk to see the moon over the Weser was enticing enough to brave the cold. We talked about preferring morning or evening (a topic we disagreed on), and I described the trials and tribulations of my German language intensive courses (anecdotes that she was equal parts bewildered and amused by). The moon was bright enough that the lack of streetlights on the path closest to the river wasn’t a problem. Looking back on it, I wish I had taken a photo or two to share, but I’m happy to say I was too caught up in the moment to think of it. It wasn’t the first time I forgot to photograph a special moment from my life in Bremen, and it certainly would not be the last.

Close to the Weserstadion (photo taken by DiB volunteer Ege)!

Chilly March rains largely kept me away from the Osterdeich, for the most part. April, however, brought warmer weather, and with the warmer weather came crowds. The weather was its own incentive to be outside, but as an avid people watcher, the crowds presented their own form of entertainment for solitary walks in the early afternoon. Picnics, games, family outings, there were so many different people to observe. There’s a large hill behind the Kunsthalle, across the road from the Osterdeich, with a great view of the Weser and a few benches to sit on. I vividly remember an afternoon spent on one of those benches eavesdropping on conversations about politics and watching kids dodge each other on their bikes. I, myself, had my fair share of Osterdeich gatherings, both with Bremen natives and with students from Dickinson and Uni Bremen.

I can’t say leaving Bremen was easy for me, but I will always remember my final evening stroll through the Osterdeich—the city skyline standing out against a brilliantly pink sunset was the best goodbye I could have gotten. I’m counting down the days until I’m able to go back and visit.

by Riley Robinson ’25

I first discovered the Überseestadt late in February, during one of the long rainy nights typical to Bremen in that season. Having gotten bored of studying for language class, I decided to take advantage of the tepid and breezy night by going for a local exploration expedition. I decided it was also the perfect time to try one of the Lime E-Scooters I had been enviously watching people zip around on throughout the city. After a few minutes of riding around my neighborhood, I made a quick turn and crossed some railroad tracks, down a path I hadn’t seen before. It didn’t take long before I spilled out onto a main road, which I would later learn to be part of the Überseestadt. I spent the next hour weaving through the undeviating streets of the district, realizing that this was an entire area of the city I had little idea about sitting right in my backyard.

The Überseestadt is a ‘Port-Revitalization’ project by Bremen. Formerly a massive dockyard and railway hub, the area has since been rehauled and turned into a living and working district. Alongside the many modern condominiums are large commercial buildings that make up their own skyline. On the southern end, near Eduard-Schopf-Allee, is the Weser Tower. It is the tallest building in Bremen and is visible from most points on the South-western side of the city.

The Weser Tower. Below is a multi-level pavilion, where people take time off their workday to view the river, and local rappers sometimes come to shoot their music videos.

An example of the many development projects in the Überseestadt. This is construction of the Kaffee Quartier, a new residential block.

Europahafen is a central piece to the Überseestadt. It is easily accessible from the tram stops Europahafen and Konsul Smitdt Straße, serviced by the 3 and 5 lines. Once an old dock for commercial shipping, it now houses private boats, and is lined with premium condos and office buildings. On the ground floor of many, you can find restaurants, cafes, and bars to sit at and enjoy the peacefulness of the harbor. My favorite part of this area is the “Überseestadt Shack”. This is a little shipping container that has been outfitted with a bar inside and deck chairs on the top for viewing of the harbor. On Sundays they open, and you can buy beer and other drinks inside. It’s a great place to relax and enjoy a sunny day or warm night.

The Überseestadt Shack at Europahafen

A summer night’s view from the top of the shack.

Further down the promenade, there is a great restaurant for Flammkuchen.

The Flammkuchen Restaurant.

An honorable pour.

Spotted outside of the Automotive Museum.

They also serve some amazing beer. It has a nice area to sit outside, although very close to a busy road. It’s located right across the lot from the Automotive Museum, which is worth checking out if you are into historical German cars.

The Überseestadt is also home to the University of the Arts, located in a former warehouse on Eduard-Suling-Straße.

The University of the Arts.

The Art Store.

Appropriately, an art supply store is near the University. If you like to paint, draw, or do anything that may require art supplies, I recommend checking this place out. It blends an industrial, open style layout with a friendly and familiar vibe. Walk around the area, and you may discover some interesting hide-out spots to relax or to get some work done.

One of the many chill nooks in the area. On the bottom, a few couches, and chairs. Walk through the shipping container propped up, and you can also recline on the deck chairs on top.

The REWE. Accessible by the bus line 28 at the Winterhafen stop.

Adventure further into the Überseestadt, and you will find a REWE and a large urban park. The district has two main grocery stores, an Aldi at Europahafen and the REWE at Winterhafen. As someone whose grocery shopping experience is affected heavily by aesthetics, the REWE at Winterhafen was a welcome sight when I first discovered it. Large ceilings, nice lighting, and a good selection of food are part of the deal here. It also features a bakery, and a Pfand machine, the closest one to my home. I have many great memories of performing superhuman balancing acts trying to bike home from this REWE with a bag of groceries and/or plastic bottles needing to be redeemed.

The skatepark at the Überseepark.

An Art vending machine near the park. Pay four euros, choose a piece. There are many options, including regional art and themed works. Great for a tiny keepsake.

Across from REWE, the Überseepark spans horizontally across multiple blocks. It is constantly teeming with young people, usually running football matches on the turf, playing basketball, using the skatepark or the parkour gym. One fun fact about this place: it was designed by about 400 elementary school aged kids, using an online forum. Their input and ideas were prioritized when considering the layout of the park.

The Lighthouse.

At the northern tip of the Überseestadt, there is the Waller Sand, a signature aspect of the district. The Waller Sand is an artificial beach, signifying the end of the Überseestadt. While you can’t go swimming, it offers a fantastic view of the still functioning Bremen harbor. It requires a bit of a journey; however, it’s worth doing, especially in the evening hours, where you can walk along the promenade and soak in the cool river breeze while listening to some music and taking in the elongated northern German sunset. The area is surrounded by residential buildings, and many people come to chill and enjoy the view, although the crowds are never disruptive.

The Waller Sand.

Yesterday, I went up and did this exact thing, and witnessed a marriage proposal on the beach. The guy clearly went all out, with a heart-shaped trellis holding up a neon sign with the words, as well as sprinklers and drones. Congrats! Additionally, there is a lighthouse at the north-most tip, and you can walk down a trail to access it.

A sunset view over the harbor. Who said Bremen isn’t paradise?

The Groundhog Democracy Advocate.

Due to the atypical housing arrangement of this spring semester, I was able to live in an area of the city not frequented by members of Dickinson in Bremen. The Überseestadt is a very new and relatively obscure part of the city, and I’ve been grateful to experience living in this area for the past six months. Because of how new the Überseestadt is, it can feel artificial, and a lot of the architecture lacks character for this reason. However, the potential for its growth as a vibrant part of Bremen is noticeable, and the rate of development makes me interested in seeing how it will progress after a few more years. Even if you are living close to the University, I recommend going out of your way to check out the Überseestadt and explore for yourself the many quirky and unique locations of this area.

My bike* near the Waller Ring entrance to the Überseestadt. To the right, there is a factory still active that is serviced by a train every day. The district is still intertwined with the many port-serviced industries of Bremen.

The entrance to my neighborhood. This path connects it with the greater Überseestadt. Shoutout to Eintrachtstraße.

*I began renting this bike from the beginning of May. It’s a fantastic way to get around, and a great option if you ever get bored of taking public transportation, especially in the warmer months. Having your own bike and riding around the city almost feels like it should be part of the integration test. You will feel like a local, and you get to see areas of the city that aren’t visible otherwise. Tons of bike paths, and it shrinks the city when you own one. Also great for getting back from bars and clubs after 1:30, when the tram shuts down. I highly recommend Swapfiets, the bike rental company. For 6 months, you pay 17 euros a month for this bike. I use the flexible rental, so I pay 24 euros each month to be able to cancel at any time. They take care of all services for you.

by Abby Jones ’25

Statue of the Bremen Town Musicians in the city center

When I began telling family and friends about my upcoming study abroad in Bremen, the first response I got was often about the famous Grimm fairy tale “The Bremen Town Musicians.” Although these famous animals never actually made it to Bremen to play music, I have been overjoyed to participate in the music scene during my exchange semester. Playing trombone has been a hobby of mine for the past 11 years, so it was a priority for me to find a way to keep playing while abroad. This has been an invaluable experience for me as a musician, but even more so as a world citizen and language learner. 

The first contacts I made with musicians in Bremen were with members of the Unibigband Bremen, the big band jazz group made up of both community members and students of the university. A musician was kind enough to lend me a trombone free of charge, and I began to attend rehearsals. This experience pushed me out of my comfort zone in many ways, making it an incredible learning experience. Although meeting a whole group of new people speaking German was a bit awkward and stressful at first, through the language of music, communication came easily. In the familiar setting of a music rehearsal, speaking German began to become much more fluid for me. Many members were just as nervous about their English as I was about German, creating an environment of working together for mutual understanding. This helped me immensely in getting over my fear of making mistakes when I speak.  

Abby (second to the left) at trombone practice

I am also thrilled to have the opportunity to work with a trombone instructor at the University of the Arts Bremen. Through these one-on-one lessons, I have learned so much both musically and culturally. After so many years of playing trombone, in order to improve, I have to break habits formed from years of experience and try slightly different techniques to get more out of my instrument. Because it is mostly a mental battle, it has been extremely interesting learning from someone of a different cultural background. I have gained some insight into how language is connected to many parts of life. 

Together, these experiences have been crucial to my adjustment to and enjoyment of the Dickinson in Bremen program. I was able to find a community of people patient with my slow German and willing to answer my random questions about life in Germany. Many of them have taken the opportunity to ask me about American culture, leading to fun moments of connection that feel to me like what exchange programs are all about. In weeks when schoolwork gets particularly tough, having time carved out to socialize and relax with music has helped me find balance.  

In addition to participating in music myself, I have also enjoyed attending performances of professional musicians in Bremen. The arts are very accessible to students, with tickets to theatre and opera productions costing only around eight euros! In this way, I have been able to get really great seats to impressive classical music productions.  

Engaging in music in Bremen has made me memories and taught me skills I will carry with me long after this semester is over, but for now, I look forward to enjoying my last two months as part of this community.  

By Noah Salsich ’25

I have had an amazing time in Bremen so far! I am a junior who studies political science and environmental studies as my majors and have a German minor. I am studying in the Dickinson in Bremen program only for this semester, as last semester I studied in New Zealand.

When I arrived, I started my intensive language school prior to starting up normal classes at the University of Bremen. Spring DiB students come in February to take two language classes and to set up our visas and other logistics, which helped get me adjusted. I took my class with about 10 other students who were mostly aspiring Uni students or planning to work in Germany. I made some great connections there and enjoyed practicing my German with people in the same boat as me. I am now in my fifth week of classes at the University Bremen, and I love it. My classes are really interesting, and I’m taking a great mix of courses on environmental policy and political inequality, all of which go deeper into subjects that I wouldn’t be able to learn about at Dickinson.

One of the main things I love about living in Bremen is the independence and the ability to explore and live in such a great city as Bremen. The public transportation in this city is very efficient and accessible, and I am able to get to know the city and really make it feel like home. An area of the city is somewhat of an arts district and there are great cafés along the water and shops to visit. I am also fond of the climbing gym in the city, so I have places I know well.

I also have just loved speaking to and being around Germans. It is a special type of feeling to have someone ask you a question at a bus stop and be able to answer them, or to have a conversation in passing with your classmate. Making friends or talking with strangers in German and then zooming out to realize what I just did makes me so happy. I think it is also important to mention culture shock. Due to my experience abroad last semester, I was more comfortable living on my own in another country, and was already somewhat familiar with how culture shock might feel. But that type of thing is hard to predict, especially because this time I would be speaking and surrounded by a foreign language. Culture shock did hit me differently here because although New Zealand is just about the farthest I could have gone from PA, it is an English-speaking country and has been very much influenced by the UK, so it wasn’t that much of an adjustment. In Bremen, I have had to adjust a lot more. But dealing with that change has been a great learning experience, and I’ve learned a lot about how to handle it. One of the biggest ways I deal with it is through humor and awareness. I try to be cognizant that it isn’t something that fully goes away, and try to laugh at the mistakes I make and keep moving, it’s part of the experience. Even normal things like grocery shopping take me longer. Like in the US, a lot of daily products have minor differences that are hard to discern for a foreigner, and it once took me three different tries to buy the right type of cream. My flatmates have a joke that whenever I go shopping, it’s pretty much guaranteed I will buy something wrong. It’s those type of things that are just part of it, and I find fun.

All in all, it has been great, and I will treasure my time here.