About This Location
In Hamburg, politics and commerce have always lived side by side, and this address makes that idea physical. The Hamburg Chamber of Commerce is considered the oldest chamber of commerce in Germany, founded on 19 January 1665 as the Commerz-Deputation, the merchants’ official representation. The building you see is closely tied to the Hamburg Stock Exchange. The Chamber operates from the old stock exchange building at Adolphsplatz 1, and the Hamburg Stock Exchange is owned by and subordinate to the Chamber. This is a very Hamburg detail: the city’s trading tradition is not only remembered, it is built into how institutions work. For centuries, the Chamber was not a simple business club. It was traditionally one of Hamburg’s three main political bodies alongside the Senate and the Bürgerschaft, which tells you how much influence the merchant class held in this city. When people talk about Hamburg as “Hanseatic,” this is one of the clearest examples of what that means in practice. Here is one more detail to carry with you: in 1735 the Chamber founded the Commerzbibliothek, a specialized commercial library that still exists today. It was created to train and inform merchants, and it hints at Hamburg’s long tradition of treating trade as a craft that requires knowledge, not just money. This is the final stop of the tour. From here, the route ends in the old center, within easy walking distance of Rathausmarkt, Jungfernstieg, and the canals. Thank you for exploring Hamburg with this audio guide. If the tour helped you enjoy the city, please consider leaving a rating or review in the app.