Speicherstadt, Warehouse district in HafenCity, Hamburg, Germany
The Speicherstadt is a connected area of brick warehouses and waterways located in Hamburg-Mitte between several canals. The buildings stand directly at the water, with bridges and narrow lanes linking the individual storage blocks together.
Construction started in the 1880s and continued for several decades to create a duty-free storage area. Later the district lost its trade function and became a protected ensemble of culture and housing.
The name means "City of Warehouses". As of 2005, companies here handled one third of the world's oriental rug production, along with cocoa, coffee, tea and spices. Museums in the district include the Deutsches Zollmuseum, Miniatur Wunderland and the Hamburg Dungeon; the Afghan Museum closed in 2012.
Walking through the area, visitors can cross many bridges and see the waterways from different angles. In the evening the lighting creates a different mood when the facades are illuminated.
Beneath the buildings lie thousands of oak pilings in the river bed that carry the weight of the brick structures and have remained stable for over a century. This construction made it possible to build directly at and over the water without the foundations giving way.
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