The Schaffermahlzeit in Bremen is the world's oldest continuing annual fraternal banquet and was first organised in 1545. It is considered one of Bremen's most important social events. At the Schaffermahlzeit, donations are collected to support seafarers in need and their surviving dependants and, for some years now, to support nautical students. The traditional exclusion of women has been increasingly criticised, which is why the traditional event has been completely open to women since 2020.
In Bremen, around 250,000 people or a good 42 per cent of the population are involved in voluntary work - significantly more than in the other city states. The importance of voluntary work is also reflected in the Bremen Volunteer Card, which has been issued since September 2010. It is the only cross-state volunteer card in Germany and is valid in Bremen and Lower Saxony. In addition to voluntary work, financial commitment also plays an important role: to this day, for example, the Bürgerpark and the city forest are maintained without state funding by the Bürgerparkverein, which has a good 2,600 members, making it the largest privately financed city park in Germany.
