Amtliche Materialprüfungsanstalt der Freien Hansestadt Bremen

The Amtliche Materialprüfungsanstalt der Freien Hansestadt Bremen (MPA Bremen) is the official materials testing institute of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Germany. It originated from the State Building Materials Testing Office (Landesamt für Baustoffprüfung) and was formally established by decree on 1 January 1987 under the then Stiftung Institut für Werkstofftechnik. Since 2018 it has operated as a business division (Geschäftsbereich) of the Leibniz-Institut für Werkstofforientierte Technologien – IWT, a research institute within the Leibniz Association. The MPA Bremen is based at Paul-Feller-Straße 1 in the Neustadt district of Bremen, on the left bank of the Weser near Bremen Airport. The institute provides a broad range of services in materials and building materials testing, as well as damage analysis. Its work is organized into departments covering metallic materials and components, construction, and microbiology, with an additional focus on analytical building materials microscopy. It operates an accredited testing laboratory according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 and an accredited certification body according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17065. As a building supervisory authority-recognized (HBR01) and European notified (NB 1075) testing, inspection and certification body, MPA Bremen supports manufacturers of building materials, products and structures nationally, across Europe and worldwide in obtaining required building regulatory approvals and certificates. MPA Bremen is a member of the Verband der Materialprüfungsanstalten e.V. (VMPA) and is accredited by the Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle (DAkkS). It is subject to the supervision of the Senator for Environment, Construction and Transport and the Senator for Science, Health and Consumer Protection of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. In 2026, as part of restructuring measures, the services of the Department of Metallic Materials and Components will be assigned to the areas of metallographic analysis and structural mechanics, while the service portfolio and contact persons remain unchanged.

The origins of the Amtliche Materialprüfungsanstalt der Freien Hansestadt Bremen (MPA Bremen) trace back to the Staatliche Baustoffprüfungsanstalt (State Building Materials Testing Office) at the Bauhof in Werderstraße in Bremen, founded in 1917. In 1927, a building materials laboratory for civil and structural engineering was established on Langemarckstraße in Bremen. In 1942, this laboratory was merged with the Staatliche Baustoffprüfungsanstalt to form the Baustoffprüfungsanstalt der Freien Hansestadt Bremen, headquartered on Langemarckstraße. In 1958, the institution was renamed Anstalt für Baustoffprüfung und Baugrundfragen (Institute for Building Materials Testing and Soil Mechanics), and in 1963 it became the Landesamt für Baustoffprüfung (LAB, State Office for Building Materials Testing). Its headquarters moved to Paul-Feller-Straße 1 in 1968. In 1986, the then Stiftung Institut für Werkstofftechnik (IWT) took over the tasks of the former Landesamt für Baustoffprüfung. With the expansion of the official testing mandate to include metals, the institution was transformed into a materials testing institute (Materialprüfungsanstalt). This also allowed research activities to be conducted. Since the establishment decree of 1987, the institution has borne its current name, Amtliche Materialprüfungsanstalt der Freien Hansestadt Bremen. The decree was issued on 1 January 1987. In 1989, the department of Analytical Building Materials Microscopy was established as a research group within MPA Bremen. Its core area is the investigation of damage processes in building materials and materials using microanalytical methods. In addition to damage analysis, a focus is conservation research in close cooperation with restorers, monument conservators and architects. After the departure of Herbert Juling, the department was attached to the Construction department. Since 2018, MPA Bremen has been a business division (Geschäftsbereich) of the Leibniz-Institut für Werkstofforientierte Technologien – IWT. The IWT itself has its roots in the Institut für Härterei-Technik (IHT), founded on 13 July 1950 in Bremen-Lesum, which researched heat treatment technology and materials engineering. The IWT is part of the Leibniz Association and conducts research on high-stress metallic structural materials, with five program areas: materials engineering, process engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials testing, and digitalization engineering. MPA Bremen is subject to the supervision of the Senator for Environment, Construction and Transport and the Senator for Science, Health and Consumer Protection of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. It is a member of the Verband der Materialprüfungsanstalten e.V. (VMPA) and is accredited by the Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle (DAkkS). In 2026, as part of restructuring measures, the services of the Department of Metallic Materials and Components will be assigned to the areas of metallographic analysis and structural mechanics, while the service portfolio and contact persons remain unchanged.

• 2026

  Restructuring: services of the Department of Metallic Materials and Components assigned to metallographic analysis and structural mechanics.

• 2018

  MPA Bremen becomes a business division of the Leibniz-Institut für Werkstofforientierte Technologien – IWT.

• 1989

  Department of Analytical Building Materials Microscopy established as a research group.

• 1987

  Established by decree on 1 January as Amtliche Materialprüfungsanstalt der Freien Hansestadt Bremen.

• 1986

  Stiftung Institut für Werkstofftechnik (IWT) takes over the tasks of the former Landesamt für Baustoffprüfung.

• 1968

  Headquarters moved to Paul-Feller-Straße 1, Bremen.

• 1963

  Renamed Landesamt für Baustoffprüfung (LAB).

• 1958

  Renamed Anstalt für Baustoffprüfung und Baugrundfragen.

• 1950

  Institut für Härterei-Technik (IHT), predecessor of the Leibniz-IWT, founded on 13 July in Bremen-Lesum.

• 1942

  Merger of the laboratory with the Staatliche Baustoffprüfungsanstalt to form the Baustoffprüfungsanstalt der Freien Hansestadt Bremen.

• 1927

  Building materials laboratory for civil and structural engineering established on Langemarckstraße, Bremen.

• 1917

  Staatliche Baustoffprüfungsanstalt (State Building Materials Testing Office) founded at the Bauhof in Werderstraße, Bremen.

Official, independent materials testing institute providing accredited testing, inspection, certification and damage analysis for construction and metallic materials, integrated into a Leibniz research institute.

• Materials testing

  Testing of metallic materials and components, including materials testing and expert reports for mechanical engineering.

• Building materials testing

  Testing, monitoring, certification and expert reports for almost the entire construction sector.

• Certification of construction products

  Accredited certification body according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17065 for construction products.

• Damage analysis

  Analysis of damage processes in building materials and materials using microanalytical methods.

• Microbiology

  Applied research on microbial colonization and destruction of materials, biocorrosion, and prevention concepts.

1. 1MPA Bremen ein Geschäftsbereich des Leibniz-Institut IWTiwt-bremen.de
2. 2Über uns des Leibniz-Instituts IWTiwt-bremen.de
3. 3Geschichte des Leibniz-IWTiwt-bremen.de
4. 4Amtliche Materialprüfungsanstalt der Freien Hansestadt Bremende.wikipedia.org
5. 5Amtliche Materialprüfungsanstalt der Freien Hansestadt Bremenwikidata.org
6. 6Alumni | Leibniz-Institut für Werkstofforientierte Technologien - IWT Bremeniwt-bremen.de