My neighborhood in Bremen is full of old houses (Altbremer Häuser) from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s that have been lovingly restored to their former glory. With the exception of the building in this photograph, which most definitely has not been restored, and still retains its old signage. I like to imagine what kind of storefront Wilhelm Kröger had. Perhaps a small grocery? Or a tailor? Or a repair shop? I wonder how long ago it closed, and why the building’s owners decided to keep the signage, even though there’s no storefront there anymore. I guess some things in life get to remain a mystery, and are perhaps best left up to the imagination…
Do you wish you knew the history behind some of the houses in your neighborhood?
Here are a few more InstaFriday posts to get you in the mood for the weekend:
Kroger — if America is a guide, obviously a supermarket.
That was my first instinct too, but the only Wilhelm Kröger that came up in a quick Google search wasn’t a grocer, but an important member of the SPD. But still, there may be something to it…
Great post, Mandi.
We live in the “new” part of town, where the buildings were constructed between the 1780s and the 1890s. There are traces everywhere of former businesses and inhabitants. It’s fun to keep one’s eyes open for the signs of things past.
There’s a great FB page that highlights some of these sites:
https://www.facebook.com/lostedinburgh
Thanks, David! Love the Facebook page, by the way. That’s one of my favorite parts of living in Europe — the overwhelming amount of history around us, and how it sometimes pops up at us in surprising places!