Hamburg
Charlemagne ordered the construction of a fortress called Hammaburg in 808. This structure rose on rocky terrain between the River Alster and the River Elbe to defend against Slavic incursions. The name Hammaburg combined Hamma, an uncertain term for the location, with burg meaning castle or fort. By 834 CE, Hamburg became the seat of a bishopric under Ansgar, known as the Apostle of the North. Two years later, the city linked with Bremen to form the Bishopric of Hamburg-Bremen. A fleet of 600 Viking ships sailed up the River Elbe in 845 and destroyed the town which then held about 500 inhabitants. King Mieszko II Lambert of Poland burned the city again in 1030. Valdemar II of Denmark raided and occupied it during 1201 and 1214. The Black Death reached Hamburg in 1350 killing at least 60% of its population. Frederick I Barbarossa granted Hamburg the status of a Free Imperial City in 1189. This imperial charter included tax-free passage up the Lower Elbe to the North Sea acting as a free-trade zone. In 1241 an alliance with Lübeck marked the founding moment of the Hanseatic League. On the 8th of November 1266 a contract between Henry III and Hamburg's merchants allowed them to establish a hanse in London. Jordan von Boitzenburg wrote the Ordeelbook in 1270 describing civil criminal and procedural law for a German city in the German language.
The Great Fire started on the night of the 4th of May 1842 and was not extinguished until the 8th of May. It destroyed three churches the town hall and many other buildings killing 51 people. An estimated 20,000 residents were left homeless by the blaze. Reconstruction took more than 40 years to complete. During World War II Allied bombing devastated much of the city and harbour. On the 23rd of July 1943 the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force firebombing created a firestorm which spread from Hauptbahnhof station. Entire boroughs such as Hammerbrook Billbrook and Hamm South were completely destroyed. Thousands of people perished in these densely populated working class areas. The raids codenamed Operation Gomorrah killed at least 42,600 civilians though the precise number remains unknown. About one million civilians were evacuated in the aftermath of the raids. A North Sea flood caused the Elbe to rise to an all-time high on the 16th of February 1962. This inundated one-fifth of Hamburg and killed more than 300 people. At least 42,900 people are thought to have perished in the Neuengamme concentration camp located about outside the city. Systematic deportations of Jewish Germans started on the 18th of October 1941 directed to ghettos or concentration camps. By the end of 1942 the Jüdischer Religionsverband was dissolved as an independent legal entity.
Hamburg stands on the River Elbe at its confluence with the Alster and Bille rivers. It occupies a sheltered natural harbour on the southern fanning-out of the Jutland Peninsula. Continental Europe lies to the south while Scandinavia sits to the north. The North Sea borders the west and the Baltic Sea lies to the northeast. The islands of Neuwerk Scharhörn and Nigehörn belong to the Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park. Neuenfelde Cranz Francop and Finkenwerder form part of the Altes Land region which is the largest contiguous fruit-producing area in Central Europe. Neugraben-Fischbek holds Hamburg's highest elevation known as Hasselbrack. The city experiences an oceanic climate influenced by maritime air masses from the Atlantic Ocean. Nearby wetlands enjoy a maritime temperate climate. Heavy snowfall occurred during the late 1970s and early 1980s but winters have been less cold recently. Snow falls just a few days per year in recent decades. The warmest months are June July and August with high temperatures reaching specific levels. December January and February remain the coldest months with low temperatures dropping significantly. An annual extreme temperature range spans from the 13th of February 1940 to the 20th of July 2022 measured at Hamburg-Neuwiedenthal Meteorological Station.
On the 31st of December 2016 there were 1,860,759 people registered as living in Hamburg within an area of square kilometers. The population density reached approximately 2,400 people per square kilometer. The metropolitan area home to 5,107,429 residents extends beyond the city limits. There were 915,319 women and 945,440 men recorded in the census. For every 1,000 females there were 1,033 males. In 2015 there were 19,768 births of which 38.3% were to unmarried women. 6422 marriages and 3190 divorces occurred that same year alongside 17,565 deaths. Sixteen point one percent of the population was under age 18 while 18.3% was 65 years or older. Three hundred fifty-six people lived over the age of 100. Six hundred thirty-one thousand two hundred forty-six residents had a migrant background representing 34% of the total population. Immigrants arrived from 200 different countries. Five thousand eight hundred ninety-one people acquired German citizenship in 2016. One million twenty-one thousand six hundred sixty-six households existed with 17.8% having children under 18. Fifty-four point four percent of all households consisted of singles. Twenty-five point six percent were single parent households. The average household size measured 1.8 persons.
The Port of Hamburg ranks third to Rotterdam and Antwerp in Europe and seventeenth-largest worldwide. Transshipments reached 138.2 million tons of goods in 2016. International trade drives the large number of consulates located within the city limits. Heavy industry includes steel aluminium copper production and shipyards like Blohm + Voss. Airbus operates the Hamburg-Finkenwerder assembly plant employing over 13,000 people. This facility houses final assembly lines for A318 A319 A320 A321 and A380 aircraft. The GDP of Hamburg was €119.0 billion in 2018 accounting for 3.6% of German economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power stood at €59,600 or 197% of the EU27 average. The median gross salary in 2021 was €47,544 which is 9.29% higher than Germany's overall median. The unemployment rate stood at 6.1% in October 2018. Banking remains a commercial centre of Northern Europe with Berenberg Bank M.M.Warburg & CO and Hamburg Commercial Bank headquartered here. The Hamburg Stock Exchange serves as the oldest of its kind in Germany.
Abel Seyler established Hamburg as one of the leading European centres of theatrical innovation during the 1760s. He promoted experimental productions introducing Shakespeare to a German-language audience. Today more than 40 theatres exist including the Deutsches Schauspielhaus and Thalia Theatre. Sixty museums and 100 music venues and clubs operate within the city limits. In 2005 over 18 million people visited concerts exhibitions theatres cinemas and cultural events. Eight thousand five hundred fifty-two taxable companies engaged in the culture sector employed an average size of 3.16 employees. The Beatles lived and played in Hamburg from August 1960 to December 1962. They performed at venues like the Star-Club on St. Pauli before gaining widespread fame. The Elbphilharmonie opened in January 2017 housing concerts in a sail-shaped building designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Over 100 music venues support annual festivals and event organizers based locally. Helloween Gamma Ray Running Wild and Grave Digger started in Hamburg establishing power metal as a subgenre. KMFDM formed initially as a performance art project before becoming an industrial rock band. The Rote Flora serves as a central location for the Hamburg electro scene alongside clubs like the Pal and Moondoo.
Hamburg functions as one of 16 German states with the Mayor's office corresponding to a minister-president role. Since 1897 the seat of government has been Hamburg City Hall which houses the Senate meeting room and Parliament floor. Ole von Beust governed from 2001 until 2010 leading Germany's first statewide black-green coalition. Olaf Scholz became mayor on the 7th of March 2011 after the SPD won elections. The city comprises seven boroughs subdivided into 104 quarters containing 181 localities. The Greater Hamburg Act of 1937 merged Altona Harburg and Wandsbek into the state of Hamburg. Each borough is governed by a Borough Council administered by a Municipal Administrator elected by that council. Thirty-three mass transit rail lines form the backbone of public transport organized by the Hamburger Verkehrsverbund. The S-Bahn commuter train system includes six lines while the U-Bahn underground railway features four lines. Approximately 105 kilometers of the U-Bahn runs underground mostly on embankments or viaducts at ground level. The AKN railway connects satellite towns in Schleswig-Holstein to the city center. Regional trains stop at Hauptbahnhof Dammtor Altona and Harburg stations alongside smaller stops like Hasselbrook and Bergedorf. The tram system opened in 1866 but shut down in 1978 leaving gaps filled by over 669 bus routes.
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Common questions
When was the fortress Hammaburg built in Hamburg?
Charlemagne ordered the construction of a fortress called Hammaburg in 808. This structure rose on rocky terrain between the River Alster and the River Elbe to defend against Slavic incursions.
What happened to Hamburg during the Great Fire of 1842?
The Great Fire started on the night of the 4th of May 1842 and was not extinguished until the 8th of May. It destroyed three churches the town hall and many other buildings killing 51 people while leaving an estimated 20,000 residents homeless.
How did World War II affect the population of Hamburg?
On the 23rd of July 1943 the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force firebombing created a firestorm which spread from Hauptbahnhof station. The raids codenamed Operation Gomorrah killed at least 42,600 civilians though the precise number remains unknown.
Who were the Beatles and when did they play in Hamburg?
The Beatles lived and played in Hamburg from August 1960 to December 1962. They performed at venues like the Star-Club on St. Pauli before gaining widespread fame.
When did Olaf Scholz become mayor of Hamburg?
Olaf Scholz became mayor on the 7th of March 2011 after the SPD won elections. He governed as part of the state government since that date following the tenure of Ole von Beust who led from 2001 until 2010.