Hamburg Harbour
| 'Hafen Hamburg - Hamburg Harbour' <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align:center; padding:16px 0 16px 0;"> | |
| Type | Aktiengesellschaft AG |
|---|---|
| Founded | 813 by Emperor Charlemagne |
| Headquarters | Hamburg, Germany <tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Key people</th><td>xxx, Chairman of the Board of Management</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Industry</th><td>Logistics</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Revenue</th><td> |
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Hamburg Harbour, or the Port of Hamburg, is a deep water port off the North Sea, on the River Elbe in Hamburg, Germany.
Hamburg Harbour is named Germany's "Gateway to the World" and it is the largest sea-port in Germany and - in terms of numbers of containers handled in 2004 - the second-largest in Europe and the ninth-largest worldwide.
In 2004, seven million containers were handled in Hamburg.
The harbour covers an area of 73.99 km² (64.80 km² usable), of which 43.31 km² (34.12 km²) are land areas.
The harbour is strengthened by the Elbe splitting into Northern and Southern branches, creating an ideal place for a harbour complex for warehousing and transshipment. The extensive free port (so-called Freihafen area) also enables toll-free shipping.
Since the harbour lies 110 kilometres away from the mouth of the Elbe, some ships at times have difficulties accessing the port. Deepening of the river Elbe in response is very controversial for ecological reasons. In part due to cooperation with Lower Saxony and Bremen to build a new container seaport (JadeWeserPort) in the deep waters of Jadebusen in Wilhelmshaven, after the change of government in 2001 Hamburg withdrew from this plan.
A new city district is also being planned to built north of the harbour with the name HafenCity.
History
The history of Hamburg harbour is as old as that of Hamburg itself. Founded in 1189 for its strategic location, the habour has been Central Europe's main port for centuries:
During the time of the Hanseatic League, Hamburg developed into a busy trading city with a rich and proud bourgeoisie.
During the second half of the 19th century, Hamburg became Central Europe's main hub for transatlantic passenger and freight travel and from 1871 onward it was Germany's principal port of trade - worldwide (see also: Hamburg America Line).During the division of Germany, Hamburg Harbour lost most of its hinterland but since reunification and the European enlargement the harbour is growing in trade volume.
External links
Categories
Ports and harbours of Germany | Transport in Hamburg | Geography of Hamburg