, 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 useable), of which 43.31 km² (34.12 km²) are land areas.
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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
Ship s 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 .
The history of Hamburg harbuor is as old as that of Hamburg itself. Founded in 812 for its strategic location the habour has been
Central Europe main port for centuries:
During the time of the
Hanseatic League Hamburg was a busy trading city.
During the second half of the 19th century Hamburg developed as Central Europe's main hub for transatlantic passenger and freight travel and from 1871 onward it was Germany's principal port of trade - worlwide. {Hamburg-Amerika Linie) (Hapag Lloyd)
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.
