▁its ▁share ▁of ▁Germany ' s ▁over se as ▁trade , ▁which ▁was ▁threatened ▁by ▁the ▁sil ting ▁up ▁of ▁the ▁Wes er ▁around ▁the ▁old ▁in land ▁port ▁of ▁Bre men . ▁ ▁Bre mer h aven ▁( liter ally ▁in ▁) ▁was ▁founded ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁haven ▁for ▁Bre men ' s ▁merchant ▁marine , ▁becoming ▁the ▁second ▁har bour ▁for ▁Bre men , ▁despite ▁being ▁ ▁down stream . ▁Due ▁to ▁trade ▁with , ▁and ▁em igration ▁to ▁North ▁America , ▁the ▁port ▁and ▁the ▁town ▁grew ▁quickly . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 8 , ▁Bre mer h aven ▁became ▁the ▁home ▁port ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Confeder ation ' s ▁Navy ▁under ▁Karl ▁Rudolf ▁B rom my . ▁ ▁The ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Han over ▁founded ▁a ▁rival ▁town ▁next ▁to ▁Bre mer h aven ▁and ▁called ▁it ▁Ge est em ünd e ▁( 1 8 4 5 ). ▁Both ▁towns ▁grew ▁and ▁established ▁the ▁three ▁economic ▁pill ars ▁of ▁trade , ▁ship building ▁and ▁fish ing . ▁Following ▁inter - state ▁negoti ations ▁at ▁different ▁times , ▁Bre mer h aven ' s ▁boundary ▁was ▁several ▁times ▁extended ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁Han over an ▁territory . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁Ge est em ünd e ▁and ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁municipality ▁of ▁Le he ▁were ▁un ited ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁new ▁city ▁of ▁Wes erm ünd e , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁Bre mer h aven ▁( ap art ▁from ▁the ▁over