GEWOSIE is a housing cooperative based in Bremen, Germany, with its main administration at Hammersbecker Straße 173. Its registered seat is Bremen. 36 The cooperative traces its origins to 1894, when Blumenthal district administrator Paul Berthold and fellow supporters founded the Spar- und Bauverein Blumenthal to address poor housing conditions associated with rapid industrial growth in the Bremen-North area. 2
The organisation provides housing to members and tenants, with a stated purpose of supporting members through good, secure and socially responsible housing. 6 Its portfolio comprises more than 4,000 homes across Bremen-North, from Blumenthal through Vegesack to Lesum; GEWOSIE describes itself as the area’s leading housing provider. 1 The cooperative’s website also identifies rental of commercial premises as part of its activity. 1
GEWOSIE’s work is locally focused on Bremen-North rather than national or international in scope. Its cooperative structure includes members and elected oversight: the organisation reports nearly 6,900 members, while its published leadership lists Lars Gomolka and Stephan Ramelow as board members and Gudrun Kobs as chair of the supervisory board. 24 Its stated benchmark is to provide a good, contemporary and secure home on fair terms. 1