Hamburg

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a city of Germany, one of the three formerly independent Hansa towns, and the greatest commercial port on the continent of Europe; 80 miles from the North Sea, on the N. branch of the Elbe. The town of Altona adjoins it on the W. From the Elbe proceed canals which intersect the E. and lower part of the city in all directions, and it is also intersected by the Alster, which here forms two fine streams, the Binnenalster and Aussenalster. The quays and harbor accommodation are very extensive. After the destructive fire of 1842 whole streets were rebuilt in a magnificent and expensive ve style. The most important public buildings are the church of St. style. Nicholas, a noble Gothic structure with a lofty fty tower and spire, re, built between 1845 and 1874; St. St. Peter's, another lofty Gothic edifice; St. Michael's, the largest of the churches; St. Catharine's, an ancient edifice; St. James', erected in 1354, but surmounted by a modern tower; an elegant Jewish temple; an exchange, a noble edifice, consisting chiefly of a magnificent hall, surrounded by a fine colonnade. There are also the Johanneum institution, containing an ancient college, museums, and the city library, with about 300,000 volumes; several well-endowed hospitals; zoölogical and botanic gardens; the Kunsthalle, a large collection of pictures and sculpture, theaters, etc. Hamburg was prior to the World War of most importance on account of its great shi shipping trade and the business of banking, exchange, marine assurance, etc., carried on in connection with that. It was the first commercial city on the continent of Europe, and ranked only below London and New York in the value of its trade. Its manufactures, though large, are less important, including shipbuilding, tobacco and cigar mak making, iron-founding, brewing, etc. The city owes its foundation to the emperor Charlemagne, who (808-811) built a citadel and a church on the heights between the Elbe and the E. bank of the Alster, as a bulwark against the neighboring pagans. It became important as a commercial city in the 12th century, and in the 13th it combined with Lübeck in forming the Hanseatic League. In 1618 Hamburg was formally acknowledged a free city of the Empire. During the Thirty Years' War its population and prosperity continued to increase on account of the immunity of its position, and in the following century it obtained a large share of the trade with North America. In 1810 was the French empire along with the N. W. it formally incorporated in part of Germany. In 1815 it joined the Germanic Confederation as a free city. In 1888 the city was included in the Zollverein or German Customs Union In the World War (1914-1910 burg, which lived by its shipping interests, suffered heavily owing to the blockade. Vessels rotted in the docks and desolation marked the once flourishing port. Since the Peace of 1919 Hamburg is fast regaining her old supremacy among German ports.