Bremen Tobacco Collegium

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The Bremer Tabak-Collegium is a discussion group founded in the 1950s by Bremen merchants on topics of contemporary history with representatives from business, politics, science and culture.

History of the Tobacco College

Historically one is in Germany Tabakskollegium mostly with the appropriate college under the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm I associated with. They have their origins in the Netherlands and have been part of court customs since the 17th century. Smoking was compulsory, but you could buy your way out of it. Conversations about trade, politics, religion, philosophy or other topics were always part of it.

The Bremen Tobacco Collegium

The Bremer Tabak-Collegium was founded at the beginning of the 1950s by Bremen merchants as a free discussion group. They wanted to invite public figures to exchange ideas on current issues in a liberal spirit. One of the motto is: "To blow a pipe sociably".

The colleges take place three times a year at constantly changing locations in Germany but also in EU countries . Only the year-end college takes place every year in the Bremen town hall . They serve to maintain Bremen's relationships.

The college previously received funding from the tobacco company Martin Brinkmann . Today there is a sponsorship group that remains unnamed in accordance with Hanseatic tradition. There are no statutes or offices, but a small committee with around ten personalities and an unofficial, changing spokesman largely determine what happens.

Course of the feast

Part of the Bremen Tobacco Collegium is that long Dutch clay pipes are laid out on small tables, which are lit by the guests during the round table. "The awkward lighting of the first pipe at the meeting should stimulate the mood, influence it, increase the feeling of togetherness, in which the conversation can then begin either thoughtfully or spontaneously," says a self-presentation. Festive clothing ( tuxedo ) is part of etiquette .

The food that preceded the speeches was always modest: "They dined heartily in the Bremen style with black, coarse bread and fish, ham and homemade sausage, with beer and grain" they say. Today a Bordeaux wine is also drunk with it.

Welcome speech, guest speech and in between and afterwards stimulating conversations are part of the course of the college.

Collegium was popular and the spoon trunk - an East Frisian tradition - is served in the clear liquor made from Zinnlöffeln and exchange host and guest welcome sayings in exchange speech:

"Ik seh di / Dat is happy mi / Ik drink di to / dat do - Proost - Ik heff di 'tosapen / hest the right drapen."

Attendees

The Collegium is a group of gentlemen who is committed to maintaining Bremen's tradition and culture. After all, Senator for Finance Karoline Linnert was allowed to give the guest speech in 2007 as a woman, and at other colleges with female hosts, these are also allowed to participate. There is no fixed group of participants. A small committee decides annually about the 150 to 180 guests to be invited from Bremen, from seafaring and from other circles and regions.

Some venues

The colleges first took place in the Bremen Club , then also in the Bremen Ratskeller and in the Focke Museum . At the beginning of the 1970s, the colleges were no longer held in Bremen, but - to promote Bremen - at other significant sites, such as 1995 in the Warsaw Royal Castle , 2000 in the DG-Bank at Pariser Platz in Berlin , 2001 at Rundāle Palace in Latvia and in Augsburg Town Hall , 2005 in the Mürwik Naval School in Flensburg - Mürwik , 2006 in the Upper Town Hall Hall in Bremen Town Hall , 2009 in the House of the Blackheads in Riga , 2010 in Langenburg Castle and 2011 in the Bavarian State Library in Munich.

literature

  • Klaus Berthold: Bremen merchant festivals ; P. 134 ff. Schünemann, Bremen 2008, ISBN 978-3-7961-1902-6 .
  • Werner Kloos : The Bremer Tabak-Kollegium , Bremen 1967 and 1975

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