[Morgenblatt für gebildete Leser No. 15, January 18, 1841] 


It seems that the Hanseatic towns are now to be drawn forcibly 
into the stream of literature. Since Beurmann’s Skizzen, there have 
been frequent discussions of this undeniably interesting topic. 
Beurmann himself, in Deutschland und die Deutschen, has given 
considerable space to the three free maritime cities. The Frethafen 
carried Soltwedel’s Hanseatische Briefe. Hamburg has had some 
relation to German literature for a long time; Lubeck occupies a 
slightly too peripheral position and its age of material prosperity is 
also long past; yet A. Soltwedel is to found a journal there too. 
Bremen eyes literature suspiciously since it has not got a very clear 
conscience with respect to it and is not usually treated very gently 
by it. And yet with its position and political conditions Bremen is 
undeniably better suited to be a centre for the culture of 
North-West Germany than any other city. If only two or three 
capable men of letters could be attracted here, it would be possible 
to found a journal which would have a most important influence 


Reports from Bremen 159 


on the cultural development of North Germany. The bookdealers 
of Bremen are enterprising enough, and I have heard it said 
already by several of them that they would be glad to provide the 
necessary funds and willing to bear the probable losses of the first 
few years of publication. 

The best thing about Bremen is its music. There are few towns 
in Germany with so much and such good music as here. A 
relatively very large number of choral societies have been formed 
and the frequent concerts are always well attended. Musical taste, 
moreover, has remained almost quite pure; the German classics, 
Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, of the more modern composers 
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and the best song composers, are decided- 
ly preponderant. The new French and new Italian schools have an 
audience almost only among the young office employees. One 
might only wish that Sebastian Bach, Gluck and Haydn were less 
pushed into the background. Nor are more recent compositions 
rejected; on the contrary, there are perhaps few places where the 
works of young German composers are performed as readily as 
here. There have also always been names here which enjoyed a 
high reputation in the musical world. The talented song composer 
Stegmayer conducted the orchestra of our theatre for several 
years; his place has now been taken by Kossmaly, who will have 
made many friends partly with his compositions, partly with the 
articles which he publishes mostly in Schumann’s Neue Zeitschrift 
für Musik. Riem, who conducts the choir and most of the concerts, 
is also a recognised composer. Riem is a lovable old man with a 
youthful, infectious enthusiasm in his heart; nobody knows as well 
as he does how to inspire both singers and instrumentalists to 
lively performance.