The National Heritage Day was proclaimed all over Germany on Sunday, September 13. This day aims for sensitizing the public for the importance of our cultural heritage and for rising interest in the preservation of ancient monuments. Every year, millions of lovers of architecture and history are invited to wander through the past every second Sunday in September when historic monuments that are usually not or only partly public domain open their doors.

In case the historic site is also recording interesting activities today – just like the Bremen Cotton Exchange – the public response is even larger. This year the ancient ‘Kontorhaus’  (An old office building. ‘Kontor’ originally from French ‘comptoir’: Tables where merchants counted their Money) along the Bremen market place experienced the largest stampede of visitors ever.

In five rounds, about 150 visitors were led through the Cotton Exchange by experts on history and presence. However, due to limited time and capacity of the team, many interested visitors had to be referred to the office of tourism in Bremen BTZ that organizes guided tours regularly. Since participating in the National Heritage Day, the Bremen Cotton Exchange has been registering an annually rising number of visitors with large interest in the ancient building as well as its history and today’s function.