Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany, after Berlin. Hamburg is at a sheltered natural harbour on the southern fanning-out of the Jutland Peninsula. The Port of Hamburg is Germany’s largest and Europe’s third-largest, after Rotterdam and Antwerp. 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.

During the Second World War, the Allied bombing of Hamburg devastated much of the city and the harbour. After the Second World War, Hamburg formed part of the British Zone of Occupation. It became a state of West Germany in 1949.

Below is a selection of photos (in black & white with Newspaper film emulation) taken during a short visit to the city center of Hamburg on May 30 2024. Click on a small photo for a larger view, then select the next one with the cursor keys or the arrows on either side of the photo.