Bremen is an old Hanseatic town, one of the main north German cities. It was badly damaged during the last World War. In 1949 Bremen was declared an autonomous “Land,” and since then it has had a reputation for being the most politically radical part of the country, having elected the first Green MPs in 1979. Despite the vast damage from the war the town still retains a nice big harbor atmosphere and has a few sights worth visiting, not the least of which is Bremen's beautiful Rathaus.