aven ▁( , ▁literally ▁" B rem ener ▁Har bor ", ▁Low ▁German : ▁Bre mer h oben ) ▁is ▁a ▁city ▁at ▁the ▁se ap ort ▁of ▁the ▁Free ▁Han se atic ▁City ▁of ▁Bre men , ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁Republic ▁of ▁Germany . ▁ ▁It ▁forms ▁an ▁enc lave ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Lower ▁Sax ony ▁and ▁is ▁located ▁at ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁Wes er ▁on ▁its ▁eastern ▁bank , ▁opposite ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Norden ham . ▁Though ▁a ▁relatively ▁new ▁city , ▁it ▁has ▁a ▁long ▁history ▁as ▁a ▁trade ▁port ▁and ▁today ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁German ▁ports , ▁playing ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁Germany ' s ▁trade . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁The ▁town ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 7 , ▁but ▁neighbor ing ▁settlement s ▁such ▁as ▁Le he ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century , ▁and ▁▁ ▁Ge est endorf ▁was ▁" ment ioned ▁in ▁documents ▁of ▁the ▁nin th ▁century ". ▁These ▁tiny ▁villages ▁were ▁built ▁on ▁small ▁islands ▁in ▁the ▁sw amp y ▁est u ary . ▁In ▁ 1 3 8 1 , ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Bre men ▁established ▁de ▁fact o ▁rule ▁over ▁the ▁lower ▁Wes er ▁stream , ▁including ▁Le he , ▁later ▁therefore ▁called ▁Bre mer le he . ▁Early ▁in ▁ 1 6 5 3 , ▁Swedish ▁Bre men - Ver den ' s ▁troops ▁captured ▁Bre mer le he ▁by ▁force . ▁ ▁The