Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus in Hamburg: The Speicherstadt is the largest warehouse district in the world; it is located in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Hamburg is located in northern Germany on the banks of the Elbe. This deep river allows large ocean-going ships to reach the inland Port of Hamburg. Hamburg is situated 110 km from Cuxhaven where the Elbe flows into the North Sea. The river is almost three km wide when it passes Hamburg. The Port of Hamburg is the third largest in Europe, after those of Rotterdam and Antwerp. The Speicherstadt was built on small islands in the River Elbe; it was built as a free port to facilitate the transfer of goods without paying customs duties. The Speicherstadt was built between 1885 and 1927. The warehouses of the Speicherstadt stand on timber-pile foundations. The warehouses are multi-storey buildings, built of red brick, a common style in Northern Europe, and decorated with small towers, alcoves and glazed terracotta ornaments. The warehouses are reachable from land and water. The warehouse district is a network of roads, canals and bridges. The Allied bombing raids on Hamburg during the Second World War destroyed 50% of the Speicherstadt. The partial reconstruction took place between 1949 and 1967. The companies in Speicherstadt stored and handled goods such as cocoa, coffee, tea, tobacco and spices. Now, some of the warehouses accommodate museums; the International Maritime Museum of Hamburg is housed in Kaispeicher B, the oldest preserved warehouse in the Speicherstadt. The Kontorhäuser, the office buildings of the merchants, were built in the Kontorhaus District, directly adjacent to the Speicherstadt. The most renowned office building in the Kontorhaus District is the iconic Chile House; this large brick building is a fine example of modernist architecture of the 1920s. The Kontorhaus District bears witness to the prosperity of the former trading dynasties in Hamburg. The Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015.
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The Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus in Hamburg: The red-brick buildings of the Speicherstadt form the largest warehouse district in the world. Situated in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, this extensive complex was built between 1883 and 1927. Hamburg has the third-largest port in Europe, after the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. This historic and imposing warehouse district was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015.
