Hamburg Travel Guide

There is no firm evidence of settlement in Hamburg before the fourth century A.D. 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) when the city began to expand south of the Elbe.

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 that takes place on the Landungsbrücken, which celebrates the building of the Hafen.

In 1190, the citizens of Hamburg attempted to free themselves from their aristocratic rulers, but all the rights they gained were lost 11 years later when the Danes conquered the city. The Danes were eventually pushed out in 1227, and during the following years Hamburg developed into an important commercial and trading center. 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.

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 Hafen became one of the most important in the world, and the city grew into one of Europe's largest trading centers. The Wallanlagen fortifications, erected in 1616, provide an indicator of Hamburg's increasing significance and wealth. The only major city-wide problems during 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.

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 center to ashes, but the building of railway lines to Kiel and Berlin and the development of steam-powered ships led to an economic upswing which financed the systematic rebuilding of the city.

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 Hafen was the third busiest port in the world after London and New York. The Börse 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.

Forty-thousand 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 businesses began to move to the Speicherstadt and into the "Kontorhäuser," home of enormous red-brick buildings such as Chilehaus and Sprinkenhof. The Universitäts-Hauptgebäude 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 harbor were laid to ruin. Fifty-five thousand people lost their lives in the air raids, while 70,000 were killed in battle. Another 70,000 were murdered in the nearby KZ-Gedenkstätte Neuengamme concentration camp. At the end of the War, Nikolaikirche, blackened with soot, was virtually all that remained standing in the city center. On April 3, 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.

On the night of February 16, 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 centers. 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 centers and the Gruner & Jahr-Pressehaus. 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 Marseille.2008-08-02T07:29:22.000 15