Speicherstadtmuseum

The Speicherstadt Museum in Hamburg documents the construction and usage history of the famous Speicherstadt warehouse district. It is located on the ground floor of Warehouse Block L, built in 1888 in the Neo-Gothic style, which still has its original riveted wrought-iron skeleton construction. The museum opened in 1995 as a branch of the Museum of Labor and grew out of an anniversary exhibition. Since 2011, Block L on Sandtorkai has housed the collection, which is conveniently located near the HafenCity district and Miniatur Wunderland.

The permanent exhibition focuses on the typical goods stored here and the work of the so-called Quartiersleute, who managed goods for trading houses. Original tools and historic photos show how colonial goods such as coffee, tea, or cocoa were stacked, weighed, and sorted. The profession of the Ewerführer, who transported goods on barges, is also explored. Other topics include the building history of the Speicherstadt, its connection to the customs area in 1888, and the history of Hamburg's coffee trade, which was home to an important commodity futures exchange here.

Visitors also learn about the Brook Islands, which were demolished to make way for the Speicherstadt, and can marvel at the original furnishings of an old tea tasting room. These are still used today for public tea tastings. The museum regularly offers special events such as crime fiction readings and guided tours. During school vacations, special explorer tours for children take place, exploring the history of the Speicherstadt in a playful way.