Library

The Chamber of Commerce Library contains some 50,000 volumes and 200 currently-available newspapers and magazines. It is a combination of a reference and lending library, and is the oldest library in Bremen still in existence today, with holdings dating back to the 16th century.

Subjects covered by the Library holdings

Trade, foreign trade, industry, law, politics, education, vocational training, finance, taxation, transport, shipping and ports, society, labour and social affairs, media, urban and regional planning, European affairs, history, Bremensien [Bremen - specific Information]. In addition: Worldwide directories of manufacturers and suppliers, mailing lists, company profiles, country profiles, trademarks worldwide, annual reports and commemorative publications of Bremen companies and institutions, Bremen printed matter, official and legislative journals, official EU journals, statistics, trade fair catalogues and a complete set of original Bremen newspapers since 1829.

Moreover, the Library contains an extensive range of old material dealing with the subject of Bremensien, trade history, legal history, shipping, emigration, ethnology and regional geography.

Service

The Library provides information on company addresses, trademarks and contents of the holdings. Extensive catalogues are available for visitors to conduct research. Photocopy facilities are also available. Member companies can use the facilities free of charge.

The holdings are stored completely in an electronic databank, and categorised according to specific criteria (author, title, publisher, etc.). The content analysis (indexing, new systemization) has been available for all new entries since 1992, as well as for some parts of the older holdings.