Bremerhaven, city in northwestern Germany, in the state of Bremen, at the junction of the Weser and Geeste rivers, near the North Sea and the city of Bremen. Shipbuilding and fish processing and shipping are the chief industries. The city is also a major port for foreign trade and passenger traffic. Points of interest include a German Maritime Museum, an open-air museum of 17th-century farmhouses, and a marine zoo. Founded in 1827 by the inland city of Bremen as its deepwater port, Bremerhaven was opened to trade in 1830. Rapid expansion of its port facilities followed. In 1939 the old seaport of Bremerhaven was incorporated into the adjoining town of Wesermünde; in 1947 the name of the unified city was changed from Wesermünde to Bremerhaven. Population (1997) 130,847.
