7 Historical WW2 Sites in Hamburg

In this blog post, we'll visit the most important World War II sites in Hamburg.

From bunkers to memorials, this city bears witness to a crucial chapter in history that you won't want to miss while you're here!

P.S. We've also include other historical sites to visit in Hamburg below 👇

Top WW2 Sites in Hamburg

St. Nikolai Memorial

If anyone asks where's the must-see historical site in Hamburg, it has to the the St. Nikolai Memorial.

Standing tall on the banks of the Alster river, it was once a 12th century Gothic church, and rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1842, it proudly held the title of the world's tallest building between 1874 and 1876! [1] 

Sadly, during World War II, the British Royal Air Force and the US Air Force launched air raids on Hamburg called Operation Gomorrah.

The original church was wiped out, but surprisingly, the spire – still Hamburg's tallest – came out pretty much intact. You can still see it today!

It's now a WWII memorial and museum — but surprisingly, there weren't any lines when we went to check it out. Not everyone realizes there's a museum there, so you'll have to look for it in the old cathedral's crypt.

It's also worth heading to the observation deck, which offers excellent views of the entire city!

Feldstrasse Bunker on St. Pauli

If you are a fan of WWII history, it'll be hard to resist a trip to the WWII anti-aircraft bunker on Feldstrasse. This massive 40m tower in St. Pauli sheltered over 25,000 civilians during the famous Allied bombings of Hamburg.

It's not the only bunker in the city through – Hamburg apparently had over 1,000 bunkers, more than any other German city – but the one on Feldstrasse is one of the more prominent ones.

It's still standing strong today as a piece of living history, but is now housing a musical school, a climbing hall, a concert venue, several media offices, and so on.

Plans are also in place to convert this bunker into a luxury hotel, with a gorgeous rooftop garden, which will be pretty cool to see when completed.

Ohlsdorf Cemetery

It might not seem like it at first, but the Ohlsdorf Cemetery is a key WWII historical site in Hamburg. Known as the world's largest cemetery park, it's really peaceful and beautiful.

Yet, beneath its serene exterior lie about 3,500 graves from World War I and an additional 3,000 from World War II, including those of soldiers and members of Nazi organizations.

There's also the Hamburg Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery – housing the graves of Commonwealth military personnel from both world wars.

Ohlsdorf Cemetery is pretty massive, and is hard to cover all of it in a short amount of time. There's about 391 hectares of it, with over 1.5 million burials across 280,000 sites. [2]

Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial

One of the most shameful parts of Hamburg's history is this old brick factory, turned into a concentration camp in 1938. Also known as KZ-Gedenkstätte Neuengamme, it served as a "sub-camp" of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

It's estimated that at least tens of thousands lost their lives here over the next seven years during World War II — including laborers, Jews, and political prisoners.

A lot of the original buildings are still here, and visiting can be a really heavy experience. We felt a kind of intimidating atmosphere while walking around the camp, where prisoners were forced to dig canals, work in clay pits, and forge weapons.

I'd say you can easily spend a few hours exploring. When you see the exhibits and grasp that over 100,000 people passed through this camp, it's a sobering moment.

Memorial 76th Infantry Regiment

"Germany must live, even if we have to die" – those are the words written on this Nazi war memorial at Dammtordamm, built to honor the battles and soldiers of the 76th Infantry Regiment during World War II. [3]

Designed by Richard Kuohl, this distinctive marble sculpture has been controversial due to how it glorifies war and the Nazi regime. Interestingly, the memorial wasn't destroyed after WWII, but actually preserved.

Instead, the city decided to construct "counter monuments" critiquing war instead.

Several of these counter monuments have since been built, including two by Austrian artist Alfred Hrdlicka, and one called The Memorial for Deserters and Other Victims of the Nazi Military Judiciary by Hamburg artist Volker Lang.

Bullenhuser Damm Memorial

This inconspicuous memorial doesn't appear in many Hamburg travel guides, but it's an important site of WWII history.

In the basement of this former school, 20 Jewish children, their carers and other prisoners were hanged in 1945 — to cover up hideous medical experiments on the children by Nazi doctor Kurt Heißmeyer.

At the Bullenhuser Damm memorial, there's an exhibition where you can learn more about the horrific experiments and murders, and a rose garden with all the victims' names. You can plant a rose there to remember them.

Denkmal für die Gefallenen beider Weltkriege

Better known as “Das Hamburger Ehrenmal” (The Hamburg Memorial) this is a monument originally dedicated to the victims of the first world war.

Located in central Hamburg, it's quite hard to miss. Just look out for a tall concrete block near the townhall. In fact, it's so big you can spot it all the way from the Alsterarkaden.

To be honest, the monument is pretty plain to look at, except for the words carved into it: "Vierzig tausend Söhne der Stadt liessen ihr Leben für euch. 1914-1918".

It means "forty thousand sons of the city gave their lives for us. 1914-1918."

And when you wander around to the other side, you'll see a carving of a mother and child grieving. Intriguingly, the monument was destroyed by the Nazis before World War II and was rebuilt after the war to remember victims from both wars.

Other Historical Sites in Hamburg

Old Elbe Tunnel

Yes, it's just an old tunnel, but back in the day, the Old Elbe Tunnel was one of the first tunnels of its kind in the world and an engineering miracle. If you're planning to visit Hamburg, walking through this is an important checklist item!

Also known as the St. Pauli Elbtunnel, it first opened in 1911 and spans a remarkable length of 426 m (1,398 feet). [4]

You'll be walking between St. Pauli to the southern banks of the Elbe River about 24 meters underground. Surrounded by elegant white tiles, there's an interesting retro-futuristic feel as you make your way across.

Locals typically use the tunnel to zip over to Wilhelmsburg or Altes Land - but if you're visiting, it's good to pop by the observation platform on the south side for some city views!

Speicherstadt

If you're planning to see the famous Miniatur Wunderland, you'll pass through the impressive Speicherstadt district (which translates to "Warehouse City") — and you'll probably be curious about it. 

After all, it's hard to ignore the rows of red-brick warehouses and the canal system that weaves its way through the district.

Back in the day, the Speicherstadt was a hub for storing and trading goods like coffee, tea, spices, and carpets. It was a trading epicenter, reflecting Hamburg's status as a major player in the trading game.

Spanning 260,000 square meters, this city of warehouses is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site that you can't miss if you're in Hamburg.

Chilehaus

A building made to resemble a ship in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg? Of course.

Yet another UNESCO world heritage site, the Chilehaus (or Chile House) is no ordinary office building. It's made of 4.8 million grey bricks and is part of the Kontorhaus District, and is an example of Brick Expressionism from the 1920s.

Nicknamed "the ship", the building is worth visiting if you're in the area. Take the iconic photo outside, then check out the cool cafes and bars inside — I like Sausalitos for Mexican food and cocktails. 

Plus, the chocolate museum is just next door!

Hamburg Rathaus (City Hall)

The Hamburg Rathaus stands as the city's government hub, housing the parliament and senate. Constructed from 1886 to 1897, it actually still operates as the office of the First Mayor!

Its gorgeous neo-Renaissance architecture makes it historical eye-candy and draws tons of tourists gathering to take photos in front of it. Plus, you won't miss it. It's in the city center on Rathausmarkt Square.

St. Michael's Church

St. Michael's Church, or simply "Michel", is Hamburg's biggest church and most famous one. The church stands out as one of the most iconic landmarks in the city, known for its stunning bell tower providing panoramic views over Hamburg.

The Michel's baroque architecture alsonranks it among northern Germany's most important churches.

The church tower has a viewing platform where, I promise, you'll get one of the best views of Hamburg. And if you time it right, every day at noon, they play the organ inside the church, which is really cool to sit and listen to.

Another special thing to catch is the Michel trumpeter — he plays the trumpet twice a day, at 10am and 9pm, from the tower! 

Conclusion: Historical Sites in Hamburg

Given its significance during WWII, Hamburg has many historical sites scattered throughout the city. However, if you're short on time, we suggest prioritizing these top historical landmarks on our list.

These WWII sites in Hamburg give you a good glimpse into the city's past, making them must-see attractions whether you're a history buff or just visiting, you'll want to add them to your things to do in Hamburg!