BallinStadt

BallinStadt in Hamburg-Veddel is a museum that opened in 2007 on the historic site of the former emigrant halls. The complex was created more than a century after shipping magnate Albert Ballin of the Hapag line built the first barracks here in 1901. Between 1850 and 1939, Hamburg served as a gateway to the world for more than five million European emigrants fleeing persecution, poverty, or hunger. Ballin, who ran the shipping company's emigration business, built up a network of agencies that made Hamburg Germany's leading emigration port. The original halls on the Elbe island of Veddel had room for thousands of people waiting for their passage and were equipped with sleeping pavilions, dining halls, places of worship, and an infirmary.

After World War I, the German navy used the buildings for a time as a military hospital before they passed to the City of Hamburg in 1934. Under National Socialism, the Waffen-SS took over the grounds, and many buildings later fell victim to road construction or demolition. Today the museum consists of three faithfully reconstructed buildings that explore the history of migration from the 16th century to the present day. The exhibition is divided into four eras and looks at both emigration and immigration. In the rooms, you can gain insight into the lives of the emigrants and learn how Hamburg became a central hub of global migration movements.

The museum is a joint project of the City of Hamburg and private partners and is run by the Museum der Arbeit. In addition to the main exhibition, BallinStadt offers an area for family research as well as a restaurant. A visit takes several hours and can also be made via the museum's own landing stage, where the launches of the Maritime Circle Line dock. The complex was expanded and modernized in 2016 to better convey the historical significance of the site for Hamburg's urban history and for international migration.