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83-531: The bunker which houses CAOC Finderup was built between 1977 and 1985 as the wartime headquarters for NATO's Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP). At the end of the Cold War , BALTAP was disbanded but a new command was activated as is subordinate air agency: Interim Combined Air Operations Centre No 1. NATO established 10 ICAOCs in all, roughly along national borders. In 2008 the 4 CAOCs in Norway, Denmark and

166-543: A sovereign state with the official title of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg . Hamburg was briefly annexed by Napoleon I to the First French Empire (1804–1814/1815). Russian forces under General Bennigsen finally freed the city in 1814. Hamburg re-assumed its pre-1811 status as a city-state in 1814. The Vienna Congress of 1815 confirmed Hamburg's independence and it became one of 39 sovereign states of

249-639: A district in Hamburg called the Portugiesenviertel  [ de ] (Portuguese quarter) where many Portuguese people settled and which has a variety of Portuguese restaurants, cafes and shops that attract many tourists. There are several statues, squares and streets in Hamburg that are named after Portuguese historical figures. These include the Vasco da Gama statue on the Kornhaus bridge, which

332-563: A figure of about 143,200 Muslim migrants in Hamburg, making up 8.4% percent of the population. As of 2021 , there were more than 50 mosques in the city, including the Ahmadiyya run Fazle Omar Mosque , which is the oldest in the city, and which hosts the Islamic Centre Hamburg . A Jewish community also exists. As of 2022, around 2,500 Jews live in Hamburg. The city of Hamburg is one of 16 German states , therefore

415-635: A marsh between the River Alster and the River Elbe as a defence against Slavic incursion, and acquired the name Hammaburg , burg meaning castle or fort. The origin of the Hamma term remains uncertain, but its location is estimated to be at the site of today's Domplatz . In 834 CE, Hamburg was designated as the seat of a bishopric . The first bishop, Ansgar , became known as the Apostle of

498-607: A mobile base (MOBA) with approximately 40 trucks. MOBA LOG supplied fuel, ordnance, freshwater and provided repair facilities outside the naval bases. MOBA OPS had mobile radars for tactical surveillance and target acquisition. At the beginning of 1989 the Danish navy consisted of the following ships. Support ships: The Flag Officer Germany (FOG) was the commanding vice admiral of the West- German Navy 's Fleet Command. In peacetime he commanded all German naval units in

581-536: A new influx from the migrant crisis. There is an area in Hamburg behind the central station where many Afghan restaurants and shops are located. Many carpet businesses in Speicherstadt are operated by Afghan traders, with Hamburg still a global leader in the trade of oriental rugs. Hamburg residents with a foreign citizenship as of 31 December 2016 is as follows: As elsewhere in Germany, Standard German

664-475: A peacetime establishment of 125 posts of which Host Nation Denmark provides the majority similar to other CAOCs. Under MOU arrangements five other NATO nations; Denmark , Norway , the United Kingdom , Germany , Poland , Italy and Turkey contribute to the international community at Finderup. The commander's and deputy commander's positions are filled by Denmark and United Kingdom, respectively. At

747-609: A second layer to the fortifications to protect against the Thirty Years' War in the seventeenth century, he extended Hamburg and created a "New Town" ( Neustadt ) whose street names still date from the grid system of roads he introduced. From the autumn of 1696 to the spring of 1697 the Company of Scotland trading to Africa and the Indies was active in Hamburg. While it was unsuccessful in raising capital locally, it commissioned

830-630: A semidemocratic constitution that provided for the election of the Senate, the governing body of the city-state, by adult taxpaying males. Other innovations included the separation of powers, the separation of Church and State, freedom of the press, of assembly and association. Hamburg became a member of the North German Confederation (1866–1871) and of the German Empire (1871–1918), and maintained its self-ruling status during

913-742: A very high quality of living, being ranked 19th in the 2019 Mercer Quality of Living Survey. Hamburg hosts specialists in world economics and international law, including consular and diplomatic missions such as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea , the EU-LAC Foundation , and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning , multipartite international political conferences and summits such as Europe and China and

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996-485: Is a variant of Low Saxon . The official name reflects Hamburg's history as a member of the medieval Hanseatic League and a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire . Before the 1871 unification of Germany , it was a fully sovereign city state , and before 1919 formed a civic republic headed constitutionally by a class of hereditary Grand Burghers or Hanseaten . Beset by disasters such as

1079-724: Is at a sheltered natural harbour on the southern fanning-out of the Jutland Peninsula , between Continental Europe to the south and Scandinavia to the north, with the North Sea to the west and the Baltic Sea to the northeast. It is on the River Elbe at its confluence with the Alster and Bille . The city centre is around the Binnenalster ("Inner Alster") and Außenalster ("Outer Alster"), both formed by damming

1162-701: Is in the greater Ohlsdorf Cemetery in the north of Hamburg. At least 42,900 people are thought to have perished in the Neuengamme concentration camp (about 25 km (16 mi) outside the city in the marshlands), mostly from epidemics and in the destruction of Kriegsmarine vessels housing evacuees at the end of the war. Systematic deportations of Jewish Germans and Gentile Germans of Jewish descent started on 18 October 1941. These were all directed to ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe or to concentration camps . Most deported persons perished in

1245-602: Is responsible for maintaining all telecommunication and information systems. Work is supported by the Joint Host Nation Support Group (JHNSG) which is responsible for real life support such as guarding, firefighting, catering and cleaning. In addition JHNSG are also responsible for administrating the NATO personnel in accordance with the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). CAOC Finderup has

1328-474: Is spoken in Hamburg, but as typical for northern Germany, the original language of Hamburg is Low German , usually referred to as Hamborger Platt (German Hamburger Platt ) or Hamborgsch . Since large-scale standardisation of the German language beginning in earnest in the 18th century, various Low German-coloured dialects have developed (contact-varieties of German on Low Saxon substrates). Originally, there

1411-683: The Baltic Sea by blocking the Danish straits and thus ensuring NATOs unchallenged control of the North Sea . To fulfill its mission NAVBALTAP commanded the entire German as well as the ships of the Royal Danish Navy based in Denmark. The ships based in Greenland and the Faroe islands were under the command of Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic . The Flag Officer Denmark (FOD) commanded

1494-640: The Danish Armed Forces , units of the West German Bundeswehr and allied wartime reinforcements. The NATO command Baltic Approaches was created on 8 January 1962, with headquarters in Karup , Denmark . It was created at Germany's urging, in order to end the previous separation of the German naval forces between the NATO commands Northern Europe and Central Europe . After the changes in the international security situation in 1990,

1577-530: The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg , is the second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and 6th-largest in the European Union with a population of over 1.9 million. The Hamburg Metropolitan Region has a population of over 5.1 million and is the eighth-largest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union. At the southern tip of the Jutland Peninsula , Hamburg stands on

1660-513: The G20 . Former German chancellors Helmut Schmidt and Angela Merkel were both born in Hamburg. The former Mayor of Hamburg , Olaf Scholz , has been the current German chancellor since December 2021. Hamburg is a major international and domestic tourist destination . The Speicherstadt and Kontorhausviertel were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 2015. Hamburg's rivers and canals are crossed by around 2,500 bridges, making it

1743-522: The German Confederation (1815–1866). In 1842, about a quarter of the inner city was destroyed in the " Great Fire ". The fire started on the night of 4 May and was not extinguished until 8 May. It destroyed three churches, the town hall, and many other buildings, killing 51 people and leaving an estimated 20,000 homeless. Reconstruction took more than 40 years. After periodic political unrest, particularly in 1848 , Hamburg adopted in 1860

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1826-482: The Great Fire of Hamburg , North Sea flood of 1962 and military conflicts including World War II bombing raids , the city has managed to recover and emerge wealthier after each catastrophe. Major regional broadcaster NDR , the printing and publishing firm Gruner + Jahr and the newspapers Der Spiegel and Die Zeit are based in the city. Hamburg is the seat of Germany's oldest stock exchange and

1909-543: The Hasselbrack at 116.2 metres (381 ft) AMSL . Hamburg borders the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony . Hamburg has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ; Trewartha : Dobk ), influenced by its proximity to the coast and maritime influences that originate over the Atlantic Ocean. The location in the north of Germany provides extremes greater than typical marine climates, but definitely in

1992-572: The Joint Force Air Component (JFAC) concept. The crest for CAOC Finderup has, at its centre, the sword of the Air Component Command Ramstein . To the left and right of this protective sword are the nations of Iceland , the United Kingdom , Denmark and Norway , within whose airspace all NATO air activities are the responsibility of CAOC Finderup. Three aircraft tracks merge into one to symbolize

2075-515: The Mayor of Hamburg 's office corresponds more to the role of a minister-president than to that of a city mayor. As a German state government , it is responsible for public education, correctional institutions and public safety; as a municipality, it is additionally responsible for libraries, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply and welfare services. Since 1897, the seat of the government has been Hamburg City Hall (Hamburg Rathaus), with

2158-795: The North and Baltic Sea . In case of war the command of German units in the North Sea would pass to the Commander German North Sea Subarea. Fleet Command was based during peacetime in Glücksburg , but would have moved to an underground command center in Glücksburg-Meierwik in case of war. The German naval forces in the Baltic Sea had the task to prevent Warsaw Pact naval forces from passing through

2241-593: The North Sea . In peacetime he was subordinate to the vice admiral commanding West- German Navy 's Fleet Command , but in case of war he command a parallel command under NAVBALTAP. In peacetime the command was based in Wilhelmshaven , but would have moved to an underground command center in Wilhelmshaven-Sengwarden in case of war. While German naval forces in Baltic Sea were tasked with preventing Warsaw Pact naval forces from passing through

2324-468: The RAF , killed at least 42,600 civilians; the precise number is not known. About one million civilians were evacuated in the aftermath of the raids. While some of the boroughs destroyed were rebuilt as residential districts after the war, others such as Hammerbrook were entirely developed into office, retail and limited residential or industrial districts. The Hamburg Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery

2407-597: The Weimar Republic (1919–1933). Hamburg acceded to the German Customs Union or Zollverein in 1888, the last (along with Bremen) of the German states to join. The city experienced its fastest growth during the second half of the 19th century when its population more than quadrupled to 800,000 as the growth of the city's Atlantic trade helped make it Europe's second-largest port. The Hamburg-America Line , with Albert Ballin as its director, became

2490-553: The sea shanty Hamborger Veermaster , written in the 19th century when Low German was used more frequently. Many toponyms and street names reflect Low Saxon vocabulary, partially even in Low Saxon spelling, which is not standardised, and to some part in forms adapted to Standard German. 65.2% of the population is not religious or adherent other religions than the Evangelical Church or Catholicism. In 2018, 24.9% of

2573-563: The world's oldest merchant bank , Berenberg Bank . Media, commercial, logistical, and industrial firms with significant locations in the city include multinationals Airbus , Blohm + Voss , Aurubis , Beiersdorf , Lufthansa and Unilever . Hamburg is also a major European science, research, and education hub , with several universities and institutions, including the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron Laboratory DESY . The city enjoys

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2656-411: The Baltic Sea most vessels of GERNORSEA were destroyers and frigates. The main bases in the North Sea were Naval Base Wilhelmshaven and Naval Base Cuxhaven . At the beginning of 1989 the Commander German North Sea Subarea would have commanded the following ships in wartime: On 1 October 1993, a restructuring took effect, which took into account the changed military situation in the Baltic Sea. Whilst

2739-621: The British 1st Infantry Brigade and the American 9th Infantry Division . British infantry battalions and armoured regiments rotated every two years or so; thus locations are shown, but no unit identities. All territorial army units were part of the reserve. LANDZEALAND was tasked with defending the Danish Isles incl. Bornholm and preventing Warsaw Pact troops from amphibious landings. Order of battle in 1988. The island of Bornholm

2822-560: The Danish straits and to prevent amphibious landings on the German coast. To fulfill its mission the German navy fielded like the Danish navy a large number of minelayers and fast attack crafts . All German submarines were based in the Baltic Sea and tasked with mining enemy harbors and sinking enemy supply ships far from German waters. The main bases in the Baltic Sea were Naval Base Kiel , Naval Base Kiel-Holtenau , Naval Base Flensburg , Naval Base Flensburg-Mürwik , Naval Base Olpenitz , Neustadt Naval Base and Naval Base Eckernförde . At

2905-653: The Danish straits, the North Sea fleet was to patrol the German Bight and protect allied reinforcements and shipping heading for German ports. To GERNORSEA's East Allied Command Channel 's BENECHAN command was tasked with patrolling the Western half of the Southern North Sea, while to North Allied Forces Northern Europe 's SONOR command was patrolling the Southern Norwegian coast . Unlike in

2988-698: The German Luftwaffe and Marine , as well as extensive air defence and radar installations manned by German and Danish personnel. If needed AIRBALTAP would have been reinforced with units from the US Third (UK based), Eighth (reconnaissance and bombing), Ninth (immediate reinforcements) and Twelfth Air Force (follow on reinforcements), and with Royal Air Force units. At the start of hostilities AIRBALTAP would have had immediately almost 300 combat planes at its disposal. The following units would have come under AIRBALTAP in wartime in 1989: AIRBALTAP

3071-530: The German part of the BALTAP area. Until 1990, the western Allies were responsible for air defence over the whole Federal Republic of Germany on the basis of the occupation statute . After France had withdrawn from the integrated military structure of the alliance, this task was undertaken by the United States and the United Kingdom . The Second Allied Tactical Air Force (2 ATAF) was responsible for

3154-413: The Hamburg region ( Hamburg Metropolitan Region ) is home to 5,107,429 living on 196/km (510/sq mi). There were 915,319 women and 945,440 men in Hamburg. For every 1,000 females, there were 1,033 males. In 2015, there were 19,768 births in Hamburg (of which 38.3% were to unmarried women); 6422 marriages and 3190 divorces, and 17,565 deaths. In the city, the population was spread out, with 16.1% under

3237-784: The Holocaust . By the end of 1942, the Jüdischer Religionsverband in Hamburg was dissolved as an independent legal entity and its remaining assets and staff were assumed by the Reich Association of Jews in Germany (District Northwest). On 10 June 1943, the Reich Security Main Office dissolved the association by a decree. The few remaining employees not somewhat protected by a mixed marriage were deported from Hamburg on 23 June to Theresienstadt , where most of them perished. The city

3320-463: The NATO command Allied Forces Northern Europe (AFNORTH) in Kolsås outside Oslo in Norway. After a change in the NATO structure, it was placed under Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) on 1 October 1993. For the operational command of the air and sea forces, a partial assignment of these forces to Allied Forces Northwestern Europe (AFNORTHWEST) with its component commands AIRNORTHWEST and NAVNORTHWEST

3403-568: The North. Two years later, Hamburg was united with Bremen as the Bishopric of Hamburg-Bremen . Hamburg was destroyed and occupied several times. In 845, 600 Viking ships sailed up the River Elbe and destroyed Hamburg, at that time a town of around 500 inhabitants. In 1030, King Mieszko II Lambert of Poland burned down the city. Valdemar II of Denmark raided and occupied Hamburg in 1201 and in 1214. The Black Death killed at least 60% of

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3486-715: The River Alster to create lakes. The islands of Neuwerk , Scharhörn , and Nigehörn , 100 kilometres (60 mi) away in the Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park , are also part of the city of Hamburg. The neighbourhoods of Neuenfelde , Cranz , Francop and Finkenwerder are part of the Altes Land (old land) region, the largest contiguous fruit-producing region in Central Europe. Neugraben-Fischbek has Hamburg's highest elevation,

3569-642: The Royal Danish Air Force. AIRBALTAP was formed in 1962 with its area of responsibility covering Germany north of the river Elbe and Denmark with the surrounding seas; however air defence for the German state of Schleswig-Holstein was the responsibility of Second Allied Tactical Air Force The peacetime headquarters of AIRBALTAP were at Karup in Denmark . AIRBALTAP commanded the Royal Danish Air Force and flying units of

3652-788: The Soviet Baltic Fleet from breaking out into the North Sea . In case the Jutland peninsula would fall into Soviet hands, the LANDZEALAND units defending the Danish Isles would have been dangerously flanked. Therefore, LANDJUT was to be reinforced at the earliest with British and American troops to ensure that advancing Soviet forces would be prevented from crossing the Kiel Canal and Eider river. British and American formations earmarked to reinforce LANDJUT included

3735-419: The UK combined at CAOC Finderup, creating a much larger AOR it became the home of Interim CAOC1, which later became CAOC Finderup. The primary task for CAOC Finderup is to conduct 24/7 Air Policing within its assigned Air Policing Area (APA) in peacetime. In case of crisis and wartime, the CAOC is tasked to be prepared to operate to its full capability at its Crisis Establishment or to augment another CAOC under

3818-443: The United States and Britain (UK Mobile Force, primarily 1st Infantry Brigade ) were planned. The structure that was brought into being with the creation of BALTAP remained with few changes from 1962 to 1994. During this time, BALTAP comprised 4 subordinate commands: LANDJUT was tasked with defending the Jutland peninsula. Holding Jutland was crucial for the mission of NAVBALTAP to keep the Danish straits blocked and thus prevent

3901-420: The age of 18, and 18.3% were 65 years of age or older. 356 people in Hamburg were over the age of 100. According to the Statistical Office for Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein , the number of people with a migrant background is at 34% (631,246). Immigrants come from 200 countries. 5,891 people have acquired German cititzenship in 2016. In 2016, there were 1,021,666 households, of which 17.8% had children under

3984-403: The age of 18; 54.4% of all households were made up of singles. 25.6% of all households were single parent households. The average household size was 1.8. Hamburg has the largest Portuguese community in Germany with about 30,000 people with Portuguese heritage . Many Portuguese sailors and merchants came to Hamburg beginning in the 15th century due to its port . Since the 1970s, there has been

4067-404: The amalgamation of former CAOC 1 (Finderup, Denmark), CAOC 3 (Reitan, Norway) and CAOC 9 (High Wycombe, UK RAF High Wycombe ). The NATO crest is in the top right and in the top left 3 waves indicate the 3 seas surrounding the host nation, Denmark. The work of CAOC Finderup takes place in the bunker located at Operations Centre Finderup (OC Finderup). It is supported by a detachment of NCIA which

4150-401: The area of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, and was led by a British officer from RAF Germany, with headquarters in Mönchengladbach . BALTAP was led by a Danish officer with the rank of a Lieutenant General or a Vice Admiral , who had the designation Commander Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (COMBALTAP). His deputy was a German officer of the same rank. From 1962 to 1993, COMBALTAP was under

4233-417: The beginning of 1989 the Flag Officer Germany would have commanded the following ships. The peacetime administrative flotilla commands in Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven would have been removed from the chain of command in times of war. The Commander German North Sea Subarea (GERNORSEA) was the commanding Flottillenadmiral (equivalent to a US Navy Rear admiral (Lower Half) ) of the West- German Navy 's fleet in

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4316-528: The boroughs and quarters have been rearranged several times. Each borough is governed by a Borough Council (German: Bezirksversammlung ) and administered by a Municipal Administrator (German: Bezirksamtsleiter ). The boroughs are not independent municipalities: their power is limited and subordinate to the Senate of Hamburg . The borough administrator is elected by the Borough Council and thereafter requires confirmation and appointment by Hamburg's Senate. The quarters have no governing bodies of their own. Since

4399-430: The branching River Elbe at the head of a 110 km (68 mi) estuary to the North Sea , on the mouth of the Alster and Bille . Hamburg is one of Germany's three city-states alongside Berlin and Bremen , and is surrounded by Schleswig-Holstein to the north and Lower Saxony to the south. The Port of Hamburg is Germany's largest and Europe's third-largest , after Rotterdam and Antwerp . The local dialect

4482-711: The category due to the prevailing westerlies. Nearby wetlands enjoy a maritime temperate climate. The amount of snowfall has varied greatly in recent decades. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, heavy snowfall sometimes occurred, the winters of recent years have been less cold, with snowfall just a few days per year. The warmest months are June, July, and August, with high temperatures of 20.1 to 22.5 °C (68.2 to 72.5 °F). The coldest are December, January, and February, with low temperatures of −0.3 to 1.0 °C (31.5 to 33.8 °F). The annual extreme temperatures range from −29.1 °C (−20.4 °F) on 13 February 1940, to 40.1 °C (104.2 °F) on 20 July 2022 , and

4565-439: The city and the harbour. On 23 July 1943, the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force firebombing created a firestorm which spread from the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) and quickly moved south-east, completely destroying entire boroughs such as Hammerbrook , Billbrook and Hamm South . Thousands of people perished in these densely populated working class boroughs. The raids, codenamed Operation Gomorrah by

4648-403: The city from most of its hinterland and reduced Hamburg's global trade. Since German reunification in 1990, and the accession of several Central European and Baltic countries into the European Union in 2004, the Port of Hamburg has restarted ambitions for regaining its position as the region's largest deep-sea port for container shipping and its major commercial and trading centre. Hamburg

4731-455: The city with the highest number of bridges in Europe, and with 5 of the world's 29 tallest churches standing in Hamburg , it is also the city with the highest number of churches surpassing 100 metres (330 ft) worldwide. Aside from its rich architectural heritage, the city is also home to notable cultural venues such as the Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle concert halls. It gave birth to movements like Hamburger Schule and paved

4814-443: The coalition broke apart on 28 November 2010. On 7 March 2011 Olaf Scholz ( SPD ) became mayor. After the 2015 election the SPD and the Alliance 90/The Greens formed a coalition. Hamburg is made up of seven boroughs (German: Bezirke ) and subdivided into 104 quarters (German: Stadtteile ). There are 181 localities (German: Ortsteile ). The urban organisation is regulated by the Constitution of Hamburg and several laws. Most of

4897-424: The command was restructured in 1993 and deactivated in 2002. The area of responsibility of BALTAP comprised the territory of Denmark (without Greenland and the Faroe Islands ), the German states Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein and the eastern North Sea , the Baltic approaches with Skagerrak , Kattegat , the Danish straits , and the Baltic Sea . One peculiarity was the responsibility for air defence over

4980-417: The construction of four vessels in the port. The Caledonia , a ship of 600 tons with 56 guns, and the Instuaration (later renamed the St. Andrew ), a vessel of 350 tons, were launched in March 1697. Upon the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Free Imperial City of Hamburg was not incorporated into a larger administrative area while retaining special privileges ( mediatised ), but became

5063-439: The end of June 2013 the CAOC will deactivate and responsibility for its Air Policing Area will pass to CAOC Uedem in Germany under the new NATO Force Structure. Allied Forces Baltic Approaches Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP) was a Principal Subordinate Command (PSC) of the NATO Military Command Structure , with responsibility for the Baltic Sea area. It was in existence from 1962 to 2002 and consisted of

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5146-503: The enemy fleet with continuous hit and run attacks. Additionally the Danish navy fielded RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles mounted on Scania trucks as mobile coastal artillery . The navy's main bases were Minor naval bases were The coastal fortification Minor naval stations, as part of sea surveillance. Aerial support was provided by the Danish Naval Air Squadron ( Søværnets Flyvetjeneste ) based at Værløse Air Base with 8 × Lynx Mk.80 helicopters. The torpedo boats had

5229-419: The entire Danish home fleet. As the fleet's main tasks were to prevent Warsaw Pact naval forces from passing through the Danish straits and to prevent amphibious landings on the Danish coast. To fulfill its mission the Danish navy fielded a large number of minelayers and fast attack crafts . The first would have been used to mine all sealanes and potential landings beaches, while the latter would have harassed

5312-419: The first constitution of Hamburg . In 1356, the Matthiae-Mahl feast dinner for Hanseatic League cities was celebrated for the first time on 25 February, the first day of spring in medieval times. It continues today as the world's oldest ceremonial meal. In 1529, the city embraced Lutheranism , and it received Reformed refugees from the Netherlands and France. When Jan van Valckenborgh introduced

5395-583: The latest territorial reform of March 2008, the boroughs are Hamburg-Mitte , Altona , Eimsbüttel , Hamburg-Nord , Wandsbek , Bergedorf , and Harburg . Hamburg-Mitte ("Hamburg Centre") covers mostly the urban centre of the city and consists of the quarters Billbrook , Billstedt , Borgfelde , Finkenwerder , HafenCity , Hamm , Hammerbrook , Horn , Kleiner Grasbrook , Neuwerk , Rothenburgsort , St. Georg , St. Pauli , Steinwerder , Veddel , Waltershof , and Wilhelmsburg . The quarters Hamburg-Altstadt ("old town") and Neustadt ("new town") are

5478-453: The latter was measured at Hamburg-Neuwiedenthal Meteorological Station, on the same day, a high temperature record of 39.1 °C (102.4 °F) was recorded at Hamburg Airport . View climate chart 1986–2016 or 1960–1990 On 31 December 2016, there were 1,860,759 people registered as living in Hamburg in an area of 755.3 km (291.6 sq mi). The population density was 2,464/km (6,380/sq mi). The metropolitan area of

5561-402: The main trade routes of the North Sea and Baltic Sea , quickly made it a major port in Northern Europe. Its trade alliance with Lübeck in 1241 marks the origin and core of the powerful Hanseatic League of trading cities. On 8 November 1266, a contract between Henry III and Hamburg's traders allowed them to establish a hanse in London. This was the first time in history that the word hanse

5644-445: The office of the mayor, the meeting room for the Senate and the floor for the Hamburg Parliament . From 2001 until 2010, the mayor of Hamburg was Ole von Beust , who governed in Germany's first statewide "black-green" coalition, consisting of the conservative CDU Hamburg and the alternative GAL, which are Hamburg's regional wing of the Alliance 90/The Greens party. Von Beust was briefly succeeded by Christoph Ahlhaus in 2010, but

5727-612: The population belonged to the North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church , the largest religious body, and 9.9% to the Roman Catholic Church . Hamburg is seat of one of the three bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hamburg . According to the publication Muslimisches Leben in Deutschland (" Muslim life in Germany "), an estimated 141,900 Muslim migrants (from nearly 50 countries of origin) lived in Hamburg in 2008. About three years later (May 2011) calculations based on census data for 21 countries of origin resulted in

5810-411: The population in 1350. Hamburg experienced several great fires in the medieval period. In 1189, by imperial charter, Frederick I "Barbarossa" granted Hamburg the status of a Free Imperial City and tax-free access (or free-trade zone ) up the Lower Elbe into the North Sea. In 1265, an allegedly forged letter was presented to or by the Rath of Hamburg. This charter, along with Hamburg's proximity to

5893-399: The quarters were former independent cities, towns or villages annexed into Hamburg proper. The last large annexation was done through the Greater Hamburg Act of 1937, when the cities Altona , Harburg , and Wandsbek were merged into the state of Hamburg. The Act of the Constitution and Administration of Hanseatic city of Hamburg established Hamburg as a state and a municipality. Some of

5976-617: The two land forces commands remained in place, the two headquarters of the naval and air forces were deactivated. The Interim Combined Air Operations Centre 1 (ICAOC 1) in Karup took the place of COMAIRBALTAP. The two national naval commanders were placed directly under COMBALTAP as Admiral Danish Fleet (AdmDanFleet) and Commander German Fleet (COMGERFLEET). Hamburg Hamburg ( German: [ˈhambʊʁk] , locally also [ˈhambʊɪ̯ç] ; Low Saxon : Hamborg [ˈhambɔːç] ), officially

6059-641: The way for bands including the Beatles . Hamburg is also known for several theatres and a variety of musical shows. St. Pauli 's Reeperbahn is among the best-known European red light districts. Claudius Ptolemy (2nd century AD) reported the first name for the vicinity as Treva . The name Hamburg comes from the first permanent building on the site, a castle which the Emperor Charlemagne ordered constructed in AD 808. It rose on rocky terrain in

6142-509: The world's largest transatlantic shipping company around the start of the 20th century. Shipping companies sailing to South America, Africa, India and East Asia were based in the city. Hamburg was the departure port for many Germans and Eastern Europeans to emigrate to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Trading communities from all over the world established themselves there. A major outbreak of cholera in 1892

6225-405: Was a NATO military formation under Allied Forces Baltic Approaches tasked with providing air support in the BALTAP area of operations. AIRBALTAP commanded all flying units based within its sector and all reinforcements flying into its sector, as well as ground-based radar systems and stations, air defence units and the airfields in its sector. The commander of AIRBALTAP was the commander in chief of

6308-408: Was a range of such Missingsch varieties, the best-known being the low-prestige ones of the working classes and the somewhat more bourgeois Hanseatendeutsch (Hanseatic German), although the term is used in appreciation. All of these are now moribund due to the influences of Standard German used by education and media. However, the former importance of Low German is indicated by several songs, such as

6391-554: Was badly handled by the city government, which retained an unusual degree of independence for a German city. About 8,600 died in the largest German epidemic of the late 19th century, and the last major cholera epidemic in a major city of the Western world. Hamburg was a Gau within the administrative division of Nazi Germany from 1934 until 1945. During the Second World War , the Allied bombing of Hamburg devastated much of

6474-540: Was disbanded in 1993. Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (NAVBALTAP) was located until 1976 in Kiel-Holtenau, and thereafter at Karup. Its commander was a Danish or German vice admiral and had the following deputy commanders: The task of NAVBALTAP was to keep the Warsaw Pact 's United Baltic Sea Fleets , consisting of the Soviet Baltic Fleet , Polish Navy and East German Volksmarine bottled up in

6557-657: Was in wartime independent, due to the long distance from Zealand and agreements after World War II said that no foreign units could reinforce Bornholm. Therefore, Bornholm had only the Battlegroup and homeguard units of the 7th Territorial Region. Except for the Royal Guard Company and the Mounted Hussar Squadron, which were made up of conscripts, all territorial units were part of the reserve: Allied Air Forces Baltic Approaches (AIRBALTAP)

6640-416: Was made. In case of war, COMBALTAP would have had to lead the NATO forces assigned to it. According to plans, all Danish forces with the exception of some units in the outer regions were to be placed under COMBALTAP. Germany had provided for its land and air forces stationed in the BALTAP area, and its entire naval and naval air forces, to be subordinated to COMBALTAP. In addition, external reinforcements from

6723-643: Was suggested by Portuguese residents to bring visibility to the Portuguese community in Hamburg. Hamburg's Afghan community of about 50,000 people is the largest not only in Germany, but also in Europe. They first came to Hamburg in the 1970s before expanding during the Afghan conflict in the 1980s and 1990s where many Afghan migrants chose to live in Hamburg. After 2015 the Afghan population almost doubled due to

6806-659: Was surrendered to British Forces on 3 May 1945, in the Battle of Hamburg , three days after Adolf Hitler 's death. After the Second World War , Hamburg formed part of the British Zone of Occupation ; it became a state of West Germany in 1949. On 16 February 1962, a North Sea flood caused the Elbe to rise to an all-time high, inundating one-fifth of Hamburg and killing more than 300 people. The inner German border – only 50 kilometres (30 mi) east of Hamburg – separated

6889-534: Was used for the trading guild of the Hanseatic League . In 1270, the solicitor of the senate of Hamburg , Jordan von Boitzenburg , wrote the first description of civil, criminal and procedural law for a city in Germany in the German language, the Ordeelbook ( Ordeel : sentence). On 10 August 1410, civil unrest forced a compromise (German: Rezeß , literally meaning: withdrawal). This is considered

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