This plaza was not only used to host markets; it also served a judicial purpose and was a site for executing penalties for crime, The “Pranger” and Schandesel were built in the 16th century and convicts were tied down to face public scrutiny. Although many offenders were whipped inside a small building, they still had to endure public humiliation outside in the “Marktplatz” in any weather as part of their punishment.
Photo Marktplatz Bremen by Dr. Bernd Gross is licensed under СС BY-SA 3.0