A Brief History of Hamburg

Hamburg was founded by Charlemagne in 808 AD, shortly after he defeated the Saxons and forcibly converted them to Christianity, It was originally established as Hammaburg, and its main purpose was to support missionaries operating in Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark, and Scandinavia. The town developed slowly until it came under the control of the Schaumburgs. Under their rule, the population increased and trade became important. On May 7, 1189, Duke Adolf III managed to obtain from Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa an Imperial guarantee of free trade along the Elbe, from its mouth to Hamburg. From this moment onwards, Hamburg would be an important trading city.

Hamburg’s path to wealth began when it joined the Hanseatic League in 1321. It became a partner town with the fabulously rich Lübeck. During the Middle Ages, light loads were unloaded in Lübeck and transported overland to Hamburg, where the journey continued by sea rather than risk sailing around Denmark.

Hamburg became a Free Imperial City in 1510. It adopted the Lutheran Reformation early on and attracted religious refugees from all parts of Europe. Its population doubled to 40,000 between 1550 and 1600. After the collapse of the Hanseatic League, Hamburg increasingly turned its access to the Atlantic Ocean to advantage in trade. However, French occupation during the NapoleonicWars and the continental system, which banned trade with Britain, left the city in financial ruin. Its sovereignty was guaranteed at the Congress of Vienna and Hamburg has been known officially as the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg ever since.

The Great Fire of 1842 destroyed most of the old town, including 71 city blocks and 1,749 houses. However, for most of the 19th century it saw tremendous growth as trans-Atlantic trade increased in importance. In 1871, it joined the new German Empire led by Prussia. To counter the effects of the customs union, it founded the free port system still in existence today. A large part of Hamburg’s port is a tax-free zone allowing for cheaper re-exports – taxes are only payable should the goods enter Germany itself.

Shortly before the First World War, Hamburg was the world’s third-largest port (behind London and New York). However, the war cost the lives of 40,000 Hamburgers, interrupted trade, and the war reparations cost Hamburg virtually its entire commercial fleet.

The town was severely affected by the Nazi regime. The temporary loss of “Free” from its name was the least serious. Shortly before the war, Hamburg had the largest Jewish community in Germany, and they suffered the same terrible fate as other Jews in Nazi-controlled areas. The city itself suffered air raids early on, with the most severe in July 1943. Air raids killed 55,000, destroyed more than half of all houses and 80% of port facilities. Around 70,000 Hamburgers died on the front. During the war, the population declined from 1.7 million to 1.1 million.

At the foundation of the Federal Republic of (West) Germany in 1949, Hamburg joined as a city-state. As before, it relied on trade to recover and it became one of the wealthiest cities in Germany. Currently, the port is still Hamburg’s lifeline, but other industries are important too. It is a major media city and controls a significant part of Germany’s printed media.