Haus Vorwärts

Haus Vorwärts stands on Sandstraße in Bremen’s historic centre, directly beside Bremen Cathedral. One of the Altstadt’s oldest buildings, it brings together residences, institutions, and architectural changes from several centuries. Its late-eighteenth-century surroundings held both wealthy and less affluent residents. The building’s school history reaches back to the 1670s, when it served as a Klippschule for poorer pupils. Senator Franz Friedrich Droste owned it in the early 1800s.

The Verein Vorwärts, founded in 1846, acquired the building in the mid-nineteenth century and used it as headquarters for over a century. Architect Wilhelm Hermann Lüninghusen added a decorative gable in 1882, with Johannes Gutenberg above symbols of diligence and learning. The city of Bremen took ownership in 1970, and police use continued until 2000. Since 2004, the former headquarters has housed Haus der Wissenschaft, with exhibitions, lectures, and discussions about science. Protected as a monument since 1973, it keeps education and culture visible beside the cathedral.