#mesto Guide

Hamburg - history

Hamburg

The Foundation of the City

Hamburg's history begins in about 825 AD. It was the year when the castle Hammaburg was built between the Alster and Elbe rivers. Soon Archbishop Ansgar chose Hamburg as the base of his missions to the heathens of northern Europe. The city was burned several times by vikings.

The New Trading Centre

By the end of the 11th century Hamburg lost its function of the spiritual metropolis of the north and turned into a trading centre. The foundation of Lübeck promoted the economic development of Hamburg as Lübeck's port on the North Sea. The construction of a new town, adjacent to the old one and having a harbour on the Alster River, made it possible for Hamburg to gain more economic importance. Such was the early stage of Hamburg’s development. Later on the city underwent colossal changes before it became the Hamburg of today, one of the greatest cities in Europe.