Hamburg, Germany, a city-state in Germany, is an impressive economic and cultural center. Hamburg’s location, size, economy, history, and culture are a starting point to understanding.
Hamburg is located between the German states of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, and is along the Elbe River, where the Alster River and Bille River meet. Approximately 1.8 million people live in the city, which makes it the second largest city in Germany, right behind Berlin. Although the state of Hamburg has only 1.8 million people, the metro area, which spreads into other states, consists of roughly 4.3 million people. The city-state is about 469 square miles. Hamburg also consists of three small islands: Neuwerk, Scharhorn, and Nigehorn.
With the third largest port in Europe, Hamburg is a major industrial center. It is one of the wealthier cities in Europe and is a large hub in Germany. The nominal income per capita is $66,315. Clip: While the total GDP of Hamburg is $116 billion, of which the service sector contributes around 82.2%, industry 17.61%, and agriculture 0.19% End Clip (1). Airbus, Blohm + Voss, and Aurubis all have facilities in Hamburg. Clip: The Port of Hamburg is the most important European seaport for Chinese foreign trade…The major product groups reaching Hamburg from China for distribution to the German and European markets include electrical equipment, textiles, machinery, food-stuffs, computers, televisions and other consumer electronics and office equipment. Exports to China from Germany and neighboring European countries include machinery and components, automotive parts, electrical equipment, chemical products, paper, steel and other metals to China via Hamburg…Asia, led by China, is by far the most significant market partner for the Port of Hamburg in the container-handling segment. One out of three containers handled in Hamburg comes from or goes to China End Clip (2).
Hamburg was Clip: founded by Charlemagne in the early ninth century, the city quickly grew in commercial importance and in 1241 formed an alliance with Lübeck that became the basis for the Hanseatic League…In 1558, the first German stock exchange was founded there…The city was occupied by the French in 1806 and in 1815 joined the German Confederation End Clip (3). Clip: In 1860, the state of Hamburg adopted a republican constitution. Hamburg became a city-state within the North German Confederation, 1866-1871, the German Empire, 1871-1918, and during the period of the Weimar Republic, 1919-1933 End Clip (4). Clip: During World War II, especially in 1943, Hamburg was severely damaged by aerial bombardment, and some 55,000 persons were killed End Clip (3). Clip: After World War II, Hamburg was in the British Zone of Occupation and became a state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. On February 16, 1962, the North Sea flooded that year which caused the Elbe to rise to an all-time high, inundating one-fifth of Hamburg and killing more than 300 people End Clip (4).
The American hamburger most likely was developed from a Hamburg cuisine consisting of a pan-fried patty made from a mixture of ground beef, soaked stale bread, egg, chopped onion, salt, and pepper. Clip: The Oxford Dictionary defined a Hamburger steak in 1802: a sometimes-smoked and -salted piece of meat, that, according to some sources, came from Hamburg to America End Clip (4).
Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg was officially opened in 1907 by Carl Hagenbeck Jr. Hagenbeck Zoo’s Clip: panoramic views and open-air enclosures are world-famous. The Zoo is home to 1,850 animals from all over the world and we have bred many species threatened with extinction with great success. Orangutans, Asian Elephants and Giant Otters from South America have all found sanctuary at Hagenbeck End Clip (5). It was the first zoo to use open-air enclosures using invisible ditches, rather than barred cages.
The Beatles spent most of their early years performing in clubs along the streets in Hamburg's infamous red-light district. Over the course of their time spent in Germany, they went from playing at smaller nightclubs and moved to the larger nightclubs. Clip: George Harrison was kicked out of Germany because he was underage, 17, and in violation of German child protection laws. Paul McCartney and Pete Best were deported after being charged with arson…It was during this second engagement in Hamburg that the Beatles made their first professional recordings. End Clip (6).
Overall, I chose to write about Hamburg, Germany, because it is a thriving destination. The people and economy will change over time, but the culture will last forever.
(1) http://www.mapzones.org/Hamburg.html 9/13/11
(3) http://www.answers.com/topic/hamburg 9/13/11
(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg 9/13/11
(5) http://www.hagenbeck.de/index.php?id=752 9/13/11
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