Hamburg

Container vessels line the docksides at Europe's largest inland port, Hamburg, Germany, overhung by cantilever cranes of an unusual design. Most of the shipping that now enters the port is of the smallish, coastal variety. A few ferry services run to Britain, Holland, France, Denmark, and Norway. Economically, however, the port remains immensely significant to the city.

Largest inland port of Europe, in Germany, on the Elbe and Alster rivers, 103 km/64 mi from the mouth of the Elbe; population (2003 est) 1,686,100, urban agglomeration 3,262,700. Hamburg is Germany's economic centre, its busiest port, and its second-largest city. Industries include marine engineering, ship-repairing, oil-refining, printing, publishing, and the production of copper, chemicals, electronics, processed foods, and cigarettes. It is the capital of the Land (administrative region) of Hamburg, and has been an archbishopric since 834. In alliance with Lübeck, it founded the Hanseatic League.

The city suffered extensive bomb damage during World War II. Among the old buildings which survived are the Renaissance-style Rathaus (town hall; 1886–97), the beautiful St Michaelis-Kirche (1750–62; rebuilt 1907–12 after a fire), and many fine medieval houses. The oldest of its four universities was founded in 1919. There are also botanical gardens and numerous museums. The Hamburg Schauspielhaus is one of Germany's leading theatres. There are many canals and bridges in the old quarter of the city. The St Pauli district, centred on the Reeperbahn, is internationally renowned for its numerous places of entertainment.

City landscape Hamburg has extensive docks and harbours, especially on the south bank of the Elbe. The central city lies between the river and two bodies of water to the north: the Binnenalster (Inner Alster) and the larger Aussenalster (Outer Alster). These waters, along with parks such as Planten un Blomen and the Trade Fair Grounds, make the urban environment extremely attractive. Museums include the Altona Museum, the Harbour Museum (1977), and a planetarium (sited at Winterhude). A modern, elegant city and a cultural centre, Hamburg is widely known for its opera, theatres, magazine- and book-publishing houses, radio and television broadcasting centres, and film studios.

Economy Major industries are copper production, marine engineering, ship-repairing, oil-refining, chemical production, electrical engineering, printing and publishing, and food-processing. Shipbuilding, formerly of major importance, has virtually ceased. Hamburg is a major banking and insurance centre, and has a stock exchange. It has one of the largest fruit, flower, and vegetable markets in Europe, and also a large fish market. It is the third-largest printing and publishing centre after Berlin and Munich, and the home of the Springer newspapers such as Die Welt and Die Zeit. It is also a major television, radio, and film centre. Tourism is also important.

Ports The economic base of the city is the harbour centred on the free port, which handles approximately half of Germany's imports and exports. Over 45 million tonnes of traffic pass through the port, and ships up to 3,000 tonnes use the wharves. Much larger ships were built in the shipyards until recently, especially container vessels. Oil is the main import and is processed by four oil refineries. The port industrial area has chemical, aluminium, electronics, steelmaking, and ship-repairing operations. At Fuhlsbüttel there is a large airport; a new airport is being built at Kaltenkirchen, 36 km/22 mi to the north.

History Hamburg is said to have been founded early in the 9th century by the Emperor Charlemagne. It became an archiepiscopal see in 834 (united in 847 with the archdiocese of Bremen) and a missionary centre for Northern Europe. Throughout the 10th century it was raided by Danes and Slavs. In 1037 Archbishop Alebrand of Hamburg built a cathedral, and soon afterwards Archbishop Adalbert built a castle. During the 12th century it became an important commercial centre for Northern Europe, and in 1189 was granted customs exemptions by the Emperor Frederick I. In 1241 it formed a trading league with Lübeck, which later evolved into the Hanseatic League, a confederation of trading cities.

During the Reformation, the city sided with Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism, and in the 16th century many Dutch Protestants took refuge here. In the 17th century Hamburg played a leading part in the development of the whaling industry. Trade with North America increased greatly during the 18th century, and there was a further influx of mainly political refugees from France.

After 1815 the city joined the North German Confederation, after which its trade and importance expanded enormously. In 1842 one-third of the city was destroyed in a fire, and in the same year its first railway was opened. In 1847 the Hamburg–America Line was founded, becoming the mainstay of the city's maritime trade. After 1888 the customs union with the German Reich brought increasing prosperity; the city was rivalled as a commercial centre only by London, Liverpool, Antwerp, and New York. In 1892 8,600 people died in a cholera epidemic.

20th century Hamburg's general trade, as well as its tourist and emigrant traffic, declined considerably after the outbreak of World War I in 1914. By the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) it was left with a commercial fleet consisting solely of small vessels with an aggregate tonnage of 82,000. However, trade gradually reached its previous level, only to be reduced almost entirely in World War II, when the city was devastated by Allied air raids. It was rapidly reconstructed after the war. The division of Germany from 1945 cut Hamburg off from much of its hinterland in East Germany and Czechoslovakia served by the River Elbe. Despite this, its post-war commercial prosperity made it the richest region in the European Union (per head of population).

Famous people Hamburg is the birthplace of the composers Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn. In 1997 there was a year-long festival to mark Brahms's centenary.

Hamburg

Administrative region (German Land) in northern Germany, situated between Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony; area 755 sq km/292 sq mi; population (2003 est) 1,686,100. The capital is Hamburg. The boundaries of the region coincide with those laid down 1937–38 when the territory of the Free Hanse town was reorganized, the enclave of Cuxhaven being exchanged for three urban districts (Altona, Harburg, and Wandsbek) and 27 rural districts belonging to Prussia.

Economy The main industries are oil refining, chemicals, electrical goods, marine engineering, ship repairing, food processing, printing, and publishing. The area is mostly urban, but small parts of fenland are used for dairying and apple orchards.

Features Hamburg has four universities (the earliest was established in 1919). The Hamburg Schauspielhaus is one of Germany's leading theatres.

History Hamburg was reputedly founded by Charlemagne in the early 9th century. A trading league formed with Lübeck in 1241 developed into the Hanseatic League, with influence throughout the North Sea and Baltic coastal regions, and along the rivers well into the German lands. In 1510 the Emperor Maximilian I made Hamburg a free imperial city, and in 1871 it became a state of the German Empire.

Hamburg

Town in Erie County, western New York State, 19 km/12 mi south of Buffalo; population (2000) 56,300. It manufactures metal and wood products and automobile components.

Hamburg village (population 10,400) was settled in 1808 by German immigrants. Hilbert College was founded here in 1928. The town has several villages along Lake Erie (northwest), including Athol Springs, Locksley Park, Wanakah, Pinehurst, and Highland-on-the-Lake. The Buffalo Raceway (harness racing) lies just to the north.

Hamburg

Hamlet in Aiken County, southwestern South Carolina, across the Savannah River from Augusta, Georgia.

In 1836 Hamburg became the western terminus of the South Carolina Railroad's 219 km/136 mi-long line to Charleston, at that time the longest in the world. The line was designed to recapture Charleston's cotton-shipping business from Savannah. Hamburg is now little more than a roadside locality on the outskirts of North Augusta.