Transport in Hamburg - History

History

A charter in 1189 by Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor granted Hamburg the status of an Free imperial city and tax-free access up the Lower Elbe into the North Sea, the right to fish, to cut trees and the freedom of military service. The charter was given orally for Hamburg's backing of Frederick's crusades, and in 1265 an in all probability forged letter was presented to or by the Rath of Hamburg. In 1241, the two contracts between Hamburg and Lübeck marked the beginning of the Hanseatic League a trade union in Northern Europe. And in 1264 the Steinstraße was the third cobbled road road in Europe, the East-west route for commerce.

In 1800 Hamburg has 1,473 street-lamps and on the Hamburg hill in St. Pauli several new streets were given Christian names e.g. Davidstraße, Erichstraße or Herbertstraße.

On 31 October 1839, the first horse drawn bus line served a scheduled route from Hamburg to the then Danish Altona. In 1866, the Hamburg tramway network was opened. Initially, it was operated with horsecar trams. In 1894, Hamburg's first electric tram served Meßberg – Lombardsbrücke – Landungsbrücken – Zollkanal – Meßberg.

In 1906, the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof was built and the rail lines — like the Rollbahn line — were expanded into the city centre, and in 1910 a hall for the air traffic with zeppelins was built in Fuhlsbüttel. 1911, the first tunnel under a river in continental Europe was finished, and Benzindroschken (gasoline-run vehicles) were allowed on Hamburg's streets.

In 1912, the port of Hamburg provided 64 km moorings for more than 15,000 seagoing vessels, arriving in Hamburg. The Hamburger Hochbahn was founded in 1911, and the first metro trains ran on the circle line in 1912.

The Hamburger Verkehrsverbund was founded on 29 November 1965 with the four initial partners the Hamburger Hochbahn AG, the Deutsche Bundesbahn, the HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst AG and Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg-Holstein (VHH). On 30 September 1978, after 84 years of service, the last tram served line no. 2 from Rathausmarkt to Schnelsen.