cover image Hamburg: A Cultural History

Hamburg: A Cultural History

Matthew Jefferies. Interlink, $15 trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-1-56656-846-3

The latest in Interlink's Cultural Histories series to enrich travelers' experiences, historian Jeffries' absorbing overview disproves Hamburg's image as a staid, industrial city. Hamburg was a city without a royal court, but wealthy merchants and ship owners supported the arts as strongly as most monarchies. Hamburg was the site of Germany's first public opera house, encouraging the talents of such luminaries as C.P. E. Bach, Handel, and Telemann. Though the city's strategic position on the Elbe River enabled it to trade with other countries rather than only German cities, this location also made the city vulnerable to attacks by Napoleon and to fierce air raids during World War II. Hamburg served as a port for the emigration of 5 million people to America from 1834-1924. Inclusion of museums and walking tours detailing Hamburg's tenacity and creativity over the centuries complement the depictions of a vibrant city that continues its innovative heritage integrating the arts with industry. (July)