Hamburg’s Old Warehouse District
The Old Warehouse District (or “Speicherstadt”) in Hamburg, the largest ensemble of storehouses in the world, is now a World Heritage Site.
Hamburg is currently reinventing itself, developing its dockside area (“HafenCity”) to create residential and living space, thus enlarging the inner city by about 40 percent. The Elbe Philharmonic Hall, clearly visible from a considerable distance, is the landmark of Europe’s biggest inner-city development project. However, at present the city is pausing – and looking back, because the historic Speicherstadt, together with the neighbouring Kontorhaus District and Chilehaus, were added to UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage sites in July 2015.
Coffee, tea, spices and carpets
The complex comprises an area of about 26 hectares. It is located on the former Elbe River islands of Kehrwieder and Wandrahm, the largest contiguous warehouse complex in the world. It is remarkably uniform in design despite its impressive size. The ensemble of 15 spacious warehouses, erected completely on oak piles with a network of streets, canals and bridges, was built in the red brick Gothic style between 1883 and 1927 as part of Hamburg’s free port. During this period, the city within the city grew to a size of over 500,000 square metres of storage and office space. The elongated warehouse blocks with both water and street frontage consist of six- to seven-storey brick structures. Coffee, tea, spices and carpets are stored behind its thick walls. However, the goods are not only stored here, they are also cleaned, refined and processed.
An evening canal trip with a historic barge is a real tourist highlight because, when dusk sets in, the brick buildings and steel bridges are beautifully illuminated by 800 floodlights and develop a unforgettable aura. Other stops on the trip include the adjacent HafenCity and the Elbe Philharmonic Hall.
