Schmap Hamburg Historical Background

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Hamburg - Historical Background
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Hamburg Home
Schmap Hamburg guide and map

There is no firm evidence of settlement in Hamburg before the 4th century AD. Most city histories use 810 as their starting point, when Charlemagne built a fortress called the Hammaburg at the point where the River Elbe flows into Lake Alster. The Christian settlement survived numerous attacks by the Vikings, but fell to the Slavs in 832. Hamburg flourished under the rule of the Schauenburg Counts (who reigned until the 13th century) and began to expand south of the Elbe.

Barbarossa’s Charter

May, 7th 1189 is a very important date in the city's history. Legend has it that on this date, Emperor Barbarossa declared that merchants in Hamburg could trade freely with one another. Although 'Barbarossa's Charter' was only formally drawn up a century later, the declaration led to the founding of many merchants' guilds and trading houses. This event is still remembered in the annual festival which takes place on the Landungsbrücken, which celebrates the building of the harbour.

Growth and Development

In 1190, the citizens of Hamburg attempted to free themselves from their aristocratic rulers, but all the rights they gained were lost eleven years later when the Danes conquered the city. The Danes were eventually pushed out in 1227, and the following years saw Hamburg develop into an important commercial and trading centre. The Alster was dammed, which probably changed the face of the city more than any other event in its history. When Hamburg joined the League of Hanseatic Cities in 1300, the city's fortunes took another turn for the better. More extensive trade relations and the annexation of nearby villages meant that by the end of the 14th century, Hamburg's population had grown to over 7,500 people.

In the 15th century, piracy on the North Sea was the greatest threat to the city. Hamburg founded its own navy, which proved successful in countering the threat posed by the pirates, but could not prevent a second occupation by the Danes. Despite this, the Hanseatic city was able to maintain its privileges and trade freely with other cities in Germany and abroad. In 1510, Emperor Maximillian I declared Hamburg an Imperial City. This meant that the city was directly subordinate to the Emperor, and represented an important step in gaining emancipation from the Danes. During the holy wars of the 16th century, many Protestants and Jews sought refuge in Hamburg, thus adding a new dimension to the city. The resulting increase in population provided a further economic and cultural stimulus.

Minor Setbacks

The discovery of the New World and the expansion of trade in the 15th-17th centuries provided a wealth of new opportunities for the city. In the span of just a few years, the harbour became one of the most important in the world and the city grew into one of Europe's largest trading centres. The Wallanlagen fortifications, erected in 1616, provide an indicator of Hamburg's increasing significance and wealth. The only problems in this period were internal political disputes between the citizens and the City Council, but these were brought to an end in 1712 after intervention by the Kaiser.

Hamburg Rebounds

During the 18th century, Hamburg's economy continued to blossom and by the turn of the 19th century the population had increased to 130,000. The downfall of the First Reich led to Hamburg becoming a fully autonomous free city. In 1810, Napoleon invaded Hamburg, which led to a significant downturn in fortune until the French were repelled in 1814. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 once again guaranteed the freedom of the city, and Hamburg subsequently joined the German Federation. A devastating fire in 1842 reduced nearly a third of the city centre to ashes, but the building of railway lines to Kiel and Berlin and the development of steamers led to an economic upswing which financed the systematic rebuilding of the city.

“Gateway to the World”

Hamburg joined the North German League in 1867 and the German Customs Union in 1888, both of which proved to be crucial to the city's development. Hamburg came to be known as Germany's "gateway to the world" and by 1912 the harbour was the third busiest port in the world after London and New York. The stock exchange was opened in the mid-19th century, and a few years later two of the city's most popular attractions were built: the Speicherstadt and the neo-Renaissance town hall. The latter's extravagant style reflects the city's perception of itself, and is still seen as a symbol of freedom and confidence.

WWI and WWII

40,000 Hamburg citizens died in the First World War (1914-18). The city had been isolated by an economic blockade during the war, but made a relatively quick recovery in the post-war period. Many shipping companies and other business began to move to the Speicherstadt and into the 'Kontorhäuser', enormous red-brick buildings such as Chilehaus, Sprinkenhof and the HAPAG Lloyd office. The University of Hamburg was founded in 1919.

During the Nazi era, the Council of Citizens was dissolved and Hamburg's free city status abolished. The Allied bombing campaigns of World War II changed the face of the city: approximately 50% of its residential area, 40% of its industry and 80% of its harbour were laid to ruin. 55,000 people lost their lives in the air raids, while 70,000 were killed in battle. Another 70,000 were murdered in the nearby Neuengamme concentration camp. At the end of the War, St. Nikolai's church tower, blackened with soot, was virtually all that remained standing in the city centre. On 3rd April 1945, Hamburg surrendered and was occupied by British troops. A year later, a new City Council was elected and in 1952, a new constitution (which is still in place today) was drawn up.

The German Miracle

On the night of 16th February 1962 a storm caused flooding which ruined much of the old town and killed over 300 people. Rebuilt once again, Hamburg flourished during the years of the 'German economic miracle'. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain and the reunification of Germany, the city has begun to re-cultivate its trade relations with eastern Europe.

Nowadays, Hamburg is one of Germany's most important commercial centres. Many companies have chosen to build their headquarters here, particularly those in the media and publishing industries. Architecturally speaking, Hamburg has a fairly futuristic face: one need only think of the various ultra-modern shopping centres and the Gruner & Jahr Pressehaus. An International city, with a population of 1.7 million, Hamburg is a city state within the Federal Republic of Germany. Home to 94 consulates, Hamburg's twin cities include Shanghai, Chicago, Osaka, Prague, St. Petersburg and Marseilles.

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Chile Warehouse

A house like a ship

Burchardplatz 1-2
Hamburg, Hamburg 20095
Germany
+49 (0)40 3491 9247
http://www.chilehaus.de

Designed and built by architect Fritz Höger in 1922-24, this is perhaps the finest of Hamburg's traditional warehouses, known as Kontorhäuser. It is a perfect example of expressionist architecture, made of clinker brick with a sharp point at one end, reminding you of a ship's helm. The elegant facade, the gothic-style arcades and the intricate ceramic decor in the entrance hall all combine to make this one of Hamburg's most impressive buildings.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Chile Warehouse photo by Tanja Haberkorn

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City Hall

Town hall Rathausmarkt
Hamburg, Hamburg 20095
Germany
+49 (0)40 42 831 2009
http://www.rathaus.hamburg.de Erected in 1897, the impressive, neo-Renaissance town hall is a symbol of Hamburg's wealth and autonomy. Its 111m-long north facade is dominated by a huge tower decorated with bronze statues of past German Emperors. The interior contains some 650 different rooms, of which the Bürgersaal, Kaisersaal and Turmsaal are the most opulent. The fantastic Große Festsaal, with its bronze and marble decor, is still used for celebrations. Below the ground, 4,000 oak columns support the building. The town hall is the seat of the senate, the parliament and the government of the Free City of Hamburg.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Gruner & Jahr publishing house

Modern office block at the harbour Baumwall 11
Hamburg, Hamburg 20459
Germany
+49 (0)40 3 7030
http://www.guj.de/ In the late 1980s, this publishing house was built right next to Hamburg's port. It certainly is one of city's most spectacular pieces of recent architecture. The architects Steidle and Kiessler used lots of glass and zinc for the facades, as well as decorative elements which conjure up an association with the city's maritime history. The part of the building facing the water seems to have ship's windows and railings. Despite the futuristic design, it actually reminds you of a ship's pontoon bridge.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Hamma castle

Hamburg's roots Kreuslerstraße 6
Hamburg, Hamburg 20095
Germany
+49 (0)40 3005 1300 (Information für Touristen) Hammaburg is the nucleus of Hamburg and gave the city its name. In Medieval times it was the diocesan town and missionary centre for Northern Europe, built in the first quarter of the 9th century. Today, all that has remained are the ruins on display in the St. Petri Community Centre, which was built around its foundations. But there is a fine model of the Hammaburg and an interesting illustration of how Hamburg developed into a city at the Museum of Hamburg's History.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Harbour

The heart of Hamburg Alsterallee
Hamburg, Hamburg 22397
Germany
+49 (0)40 3005 1300 (Touristen Information) Hamburg's harbour, often referred to as the 'gateway to the world', has expanded a great deal since its founding, prior to the 12th century. If the Alster is the soul of the city, then the harbour, pulsating the energy that drives the city, is its heart. Hamburg is one of the world's largest sea ports - approximately 12,000 ships dock here annually and with the volume of traffic reaching over 71 million tonnes, it is clearly one of the largest industrial areas in Europe. The harbour covers about 75 square kilometres and takes up almost one tenth of the city's total area. 400 kilometres of railway track connect it to trade routes and it has access to several million square metres of warehouse and open-air storage. The industrialisation of transportation by sea introduced the use of containers (the container terminal is one of the largest complexes in the harbour), however, traces of the olden practices still remain in some of the buildings in the Speicherstadt district. The Landungsbrücken, the Old Elbe Tunnel and one of the city's major landmarks, the Köhlbrandt bridge are all eye-catching symbols of the old harbour. The early 1990s saw the conversion of the formerly derelict Kehrwiederspitze area, which lies in the centre into a modern residential and business district. Several tours of the harbour take place in many areas of the port daily, departing from the Landungsbrücken.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Lake Alster

The soul of Hamburg Anleger Jungfernstieg
ATG Alster-Touristik GmbH
Hamburg, Hamburg 20354
Germany
+49 (0)40 35 7424 x0
http://www.alstertouristik.de/ If the harbour is the heart of Hamburg, then the Alster is its soul. Created by damming a tributary of the River Elbe in the 13th century, the lake is now an integral part of the cityscape and lends Hamburg its inimitable atmosphere. The Außenalster (Outer Alster) covers an area of 160 hectares and is almost entirely surrounded by parks and trees. The 18-hectare Binnenalster (Inner Alster) was separated from the Outer Alster in the 17th century and is flanked by three promenades: the Ballindamm, Jungfernstieg and Neuer Jungfernstieg.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Landing Bridges

Picture postcard views St. Pauli
Hamburg, Hamburg 20359
Germany
+49 (0)40 3005 1300 (Information für Touristen) The impressive Landungsbrücken and Old Elbe Tunnel are probably Hamburg's most popular picture postcard motifs. Built in 1906-10 by Ludwig Raabe and Otto Wöhlecke, the 420 meters long building features two towers of differing heights, as well as a number of bridge-shaped passageways and copper domes. Several piers lead out to floating pontoons in the middle of the Elbe. These were once used as mooring points for the galleons which frequented the city, but are now used primarily by sightseeing boats.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Neuengamme Concentration Camp

Memorial and museum Jean-Dolidier-Weg 39
Hamburg, Hamburg 21039
Germany
+49 (0)40 4 2813 1500
http://www.kz-gedenkstaette-ne... The former concentration camp at Neuengamme is both museum and a memorial, which serve as a warning to future generations. You can learn about the fate of more than 100,000 people who were imprisoned here between 1938 and 1945. Communists, socialists, homosexuals, Jews, Roma, Sinti and criminals were used as forced labour to produce bricks for the nearby brickworks. In 1940, Neuengamme became an actual concentration camp and from 1942 it was used as an armament factory; 55,000 people died here. In addition to a visit to the museum, you can walk around the grounds alone, or go on a guided tour.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Sprinken Building

A merchant's building on two big sites Burchardstraße 6-14
Hamburg, Hamburg 20095
Germany
+49 (0)40 3005 1300 (Information für Touristen) This monstrous building is the largest of its kind in the Kontorhaus quarter, and takes up two complete blocks. Sprinkenhof also spans the Springeltwiete street. It was built in three stages from 1927-1943 by the famous local architect Fritz Höger. Its brick facade is covered with terracotta arranged to look like a net. The interplay of color and light, and the inner courtyard's gold-plated stones, and beautiful windows make this building totally unique.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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St. Nikolai

Soot-black steeple - a reminder of WW2 Hopfenmarkt
Hamburg, Hamburg 20149
Germany
+49 (0)40 3005 1300 (Information für Touristen) Nikolaikirche steeple is caked in black soot and reaches towards the heavens. The gothic style church was built in the 19th century and fell victim to bomb raids during World War II. Only the steeple and some ruins were left standing in order to serve as a memorial to 'the victims of persecution in the Third Reich'. A black and white version of Oskar Kokoschka's mosaic 'Ecce homines' ('And such is man') can be found inside the ruins. The colourful original can be admired in the modern St. Nikolai church (built 1960-1962), which also has a huge steeple and is situated at Klosterstern. The mosaic forms the centre of the asymmetric altar hall. Remnants of the old church were incorporated into the baptism altar.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Stock Exchange

Stock exchange with a long history Adolphsbrücke
Hamburg, Hamburg 20457
Germany
+49 (0)40 3613 8643
http://www.hamburger-boerse.de There has been a stock exchange in Hamburg since 1558, which makes it the country's oldest. At first, business was conducted in the open air near the Trostbrücke and then later inside a building which was located near this place. The latter was destroyed in the 1842 fire. The elegant building you can see today was given several annexes in 1882-84 and 1909-12. As far as the interior is concerned, the oldest hall with its inner arcades and classical frescos is well worth a closer look. In addition to the stock exchange, the city's Chamber of Commerce (founded in 1665) is situated here.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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University main Buildings

Temple of the sciences Edmund-Siemers-Allee
Hamburg, Hamburg 20146
Germany
+49 (0)42838 4054
http://www.uni-hamburg.de The main building of the university (founded in 1919) is a plaster ferro-concrete building (built 1909-1911), which was originally meant to be made of brick. The facade is dominated by Biedermeier detail, such as the column portals, the four small inner courtyards and of course the copper dome, under which there is a big lecture-room. Adjacent wings were planned but never actually built, however, work to enlarge the existing structure began in the middle of the 1990s. Further buildings of interest on campus are the library, the Auditorium Maximum and the Philosophers' Tower.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Warehouse City

The world's largest warehouse complex Freihafen
Hamburg, Hamburg 20457
Germany
+49 (0)40 3005 1300 (Information für Touristen) Built at the end of the 19th century, the Speicherstadt is the world's largest warehouse complex. The warehouses, many of which are up to eight storeys high, are all made of brick; the copper roofs and small towers serve as decorative features. Interestingly enough, the historic Speicherstadt still serves its original purpose and a multitude of different wares, from spices to carpets, are stored in the huge warehouses erected by local merchants over a century ago.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Other Schmapplets in this city related to "Hamburg - Historical Background"
Hamburg
Hamburg - Neighborhood Guide
Hamburg - Where to Stay
Hamburg - Dining & Drinking
Hamburg - Art & Entertainment
Other nearby cities:
Berlin (258 miles)
Copenhagen (292 miles)
Dusseldorf (340 miles)
Cologne (358 miles)
Amsterdam (366 miles)
Bonn (373 miles)
Frankfurt (396 miles)
Antwerp (459 miles)
Gothenburg (475 miles)
Brussels (486 miles)

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