Schaffermahlzeit

As it is always held on the second Friday in February, the meal was originally held as a farewell for sailors embarking in the Spring.^[5] The Bremen council gave permission to the Sailor's guild to hold the event and collect donations from the public in 1545.^[6]

For many years, a banquet took place in the foundation members' own homes, initially in the house acquired in 1561 in the Hutfilterstrasse, now part of the Altstadt district of Bremen, and from 1663 on the same street in a new building constructed by the foundation. This meal was called the Schaffermahlzeit from around 1660. Later, every two years, from 1855, three Bremen merchants were chosen as new members of the board, who had the responsibility of organising and paying for the event.

On February 14, 2020, environment protesters from the Fridays For Future, Ende Gelände and BUND demonstrated outside the Schaffermahlzeit.^[7] The protesters were directing their pleas towards the many government officials attending, particularly Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Peter Altmaier.^[8] Local law enforcement procured an entrance for the displaced attendees, and during the meal Altmaier expressed his approval of expanding Bremen's climate policy with Wind power.^[9]