Hamburg - my home

Hamburg - a stroll through my town ...

Only if you pay a visit to Hamburg you can appreciate the diversity of the "Hansestadt". The city is not only a port and an ancient town of the Hanse (an association of trading partners in the Middle ages), but also a leading centre of commerce and culture in Germany.
The Jungfernstieg and the adjacent town centre invite to strolling and shopping. The Alster and the beautiful park Planten un Blomen are situated in the heart of the town. The harbour, the Speicherstadt (The historical storage buildings), the Fischmarkt, and the "St. Pauli" district have their own charm.
Also Hamburg's outskirts with their partly rural flair and spacious woodlands are worth visiting. Particulary popular destinations are the Walddörfer in the north and the outskirts along river Elbe in the west of the city.

Hamburg has now been my home for many years and I have become an enthusiastic Hamburger. Here I would like to give you an impression of my town and hope you enjoy your visit.

The city hall
Seven architects took part in constructing the City Hall from granite and sandstone in 1897 under the direction of Martin Haller. It received a copper roof and a 112 metres tall tower. Because of the swampy land, it was built on 4000 wooden piles.
Artists from all over Germany were involved in the decoration of the façades in the Neo renaissance style.
Sculptures of 20 German Emperor were arranged in the niches between the windows at the front of the city hall. The "civil virtues" wisdom, harmony, bravery and piety sit enthroned over them at the town hall tower – this demonstrates shows quite clearly Hamburg is not an imperial town, but a Citizen- and Hanseatic town.

The City hall, City hall portal, the wrought-iron gate, the motto of the Hanseatic Town

The motto, which is chiselled above the City Hall portal and crowned with the municipal coat of arms above the portal of the Hamburg city hall, reads:

"Libertatem quam peperere maiores digne studeat servare posteritas"
(The liberty which the old ones have heavily gained may obtain the posterity worthily)

The interior of the city hall is arranged in different styles like renaissance, baroque and classical age. Through a wrought-iron gate and the wooden door behind it one enters the hall.
Two staircases lead you to the upper floors of the city hall.
On the left side of the building you find the rooms of the city-state parliament with assembly room, parliament library and five session rooms.
On the right side of the hall an other wrought-iron gate leads you to the rooms of the senate and the governing Mayor of Hamburg. The Golden Book of the Hanseatic town is kept safe here in the mayor’s room in a locked desk.

Pictures showing the hall and stairs to the parliament and to the rooms of the senate

The representation- and banquet rooms lie in the middle of the building. Wall paintings of Hugo Vogel, which show the development of the town from primeval landscape about settlement, christianisation until Middle Ages and modern times, adorn the "big banquet hall".
The big hall has a base of 720 square meters and is 15 meters high. Once a year, on February 24. the mayor invites 300 guests of honour in to the big banquet hall for the traditional Matthiae-Mahl (In the case of the Matthiae meal a long tradition of the Hamburg protocol comes to the expression. The rules of this protocol go back to the 13th century and were brought in a firm form in 1538.)
The city hall, which was built adjacent to the Hamburg stock exchange, is connected to neighbouring buildings by two wings. Here you find an inner courtyard with the lovely Hygieia-fountain in the middle. In addition, there is a café in the inner courtyard in which concerts are taking place in summer.
With its 647 rooms, the Hamburg city hall is the seat of the senate and city-state parliament as well as the government of the Bundesland Hamburg. (Bundesland = federal state)

City hall visiting is possible at the following times:

Monday, Thursday 10am and 3pm, Friday till Sunday 10am till 1pm.

Guided tours can be arranged under the following phone numbers:

0 40/4 28 31 20 61 or 0 40/4 28 31 20 62

At the city hall:

Hamburg - The city and politics

The governing Mayor of Hamburg an the senators

The parliament of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg

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At the City Hall Square (Rathausmarkt)

Heinrich Heine memorial - on the city hall square - entrance to the underground station

The city hall square, which was extended in the 1980s to a Hanseatic strolling mile, offers space for great rallies, the medieval market, the Stuttgart wine celebration and open air cinema in summer and other events.

Memorial for the soldiers killed in action - Alster-arcades at the "Little Alster" - inside the Alster-arcades

Where Stairs take you down to the “Kleine Alster” (Little Alster) stands Hamburg's official memorial for the soldiers who were killed in action during the 1st World War. A relief, which was created by Ernst Barlach, shows a mourning mother with her child. The inscription of the memorial is: “Forty thousand sons of this town let their lives for you"

Sightseeing in Hamburg

Welcome to stadtfahrt-hamburg - Two Hamburg ladies offer individual guided tours in Hamburg on foot, by bus or by taxi through the city.

Hamburg Airport Hotels

Welcome to Hamburg Airport Hotels - Our goal is to provide the best options for your hotel stay in the beautiful areas of Hamburg

Information round the Hamburg Aiport - departure live, arrival live, booking etc.

In Hamburg on tour by the HVV (Hamburg Transport Authority)

Hamburg Messe (trade fair) - www.hamburg-messe.de/

Links to your roots - Have your ancestors emigrated via Hamburg? Find out here!

Old town centre