Köhlbrandtreppe, Heritage stairs in Altona-Altstadt, Germany

The Köhlbrandtreppe is a monumental staircase in Altona-Altstadt, visible from the Elbe bank where Carsten-Rehder-Straße meets Große Elbstraße. Its monumental head structure has a wall with a fountain in the middle, decorated with the coats of arms of Altona and Prussia, and above it the gods Mercury and Neptune as symbols of trade and the sea.

The Köhlbrandtreppe was inaugurated in 1887 at the mouth of Carsten-Rehder-Straße on the Große Elbstraße. Until the 1960s thousands of workers used it daily to walk from the densely built housing of the upper town down to the ferry piers and the harbour and industrial firms on the Elbe. A terminus of the Hamburg tramway stood here until the Second World War.

In the middle of the wall face of the Köhlbrandtreppe sits a fountain decorated with the coats of arms of Altona and Prussia. Above it are depictions of the deities Mercury and Neptune, standing for trade and the sea. Next to the stairs is the traditional harbour pub Zum Schellfischposten.

The stairs are located at the riverfront and connect different street levels, while also offering views of the harbor area. Nearby traditional pubs and daily harbor activity make the surroundings accessible and lively.

The structure received cultural heritage monument status on April 5, 2001, along with the adjacent residential building Köhlbrandtreppe 1. This designation shows how ordinary public structures can become recognized as important historical witnesses.