Czech port in Hamburg: A unique chapter is coming to an end

Czech port in Hamburg: A unique chapter is coming to an end

The end of a small but fine chapter of port history is coming to an end in Hamburg: the Czech port, which has served as an important hub for Elbe shipping since 1929, is about to close. With a final lease agreement that runs until November 2028, the area will be integrated into the new Grasbrook district after the contract expires, where extensive construction projects are already being planned. The Czech port is located near the Elbe bridges and 3,000 apartments and 16,000 jobs are to be created here.

However, the Czech port, which was once very popular in the 1970s and 80s, is now deserted. The harbor basins are heavily silted up, meaning that ships can no longer dock. “It was a nice time,” said Harald Hintz, a former dock worker who worked there from 1986 to 2002. At its best, the port served as an important hub for Czechoslovakia, which received up to 28,540 square meters of usable space in Hamburg as part of the Treaty of Versailles.

Historical background

In 1919, a 30,000 square meter area was leased to Czechoslovakia - a regulation that was enshrined in the Treaty of Versailles. The Czech port was not only a logistical center, it experienced its heyday in the 1980s, when the Czechoslovak Elbe Shipping Company operated over 600 inland waterway vessels. Export goods such as sugar, coal and glass products were handled here, making the port a central point for international goods traffic.[NDR]

However, after the political change in the late 80s, the port began to decline. The state-owned shipping company was privatized and ČSPLO filed for bankruptcy in 2001. As a result, the club ship “Praha” was converted into a hotel ship in Prague, while the workshop ship “Vltava” is waiting for a new purpose.

Future prospects

The Hamburg city administration has already drawn up plans to redesign the Czech Port area. The topic of “sustainability” is at the top of the agenda. In a comprehensively updated port development plan up to 2040, the Port of Hamburg is described as central to the economic power of Germany as an export nation and security of supply in Europe.[Hamburg Port Authority]

The new plans also mention the construction of a Vltava harbor bridge, which will connect the Grasbrook district to the existing transport network. A “Moldauhafen” subway station on the U4 line is also being planned, which will facilitate connections to the new district. Interestingly, the name “Moldauhafen” for the subway station was chosen in an online vote.[Wikipedia]

The city of Hamburg and the Czech Republic are currently in discussions about an exchange of land in order to offer Czech companies a new home in the port area after 2028. The developments in the Czech port are not only a story of retreat, but also of a new beginning, which is closely linked to the economic and urban reorientation of Hamburg.