HAMBURG, an imperial city of Germany, seated Hamburg in E. Long. 9. 55. N. Lat. 53. 34. Its name is derived from the Old German word Hamm, signifying a wood, and Burg, a castle; and stands on the north side of the river Elbe. This river is not less than four miles broad opposite the city. It forms two spacious harbours, and likewise runs through most part of it in canals. It flows above Hamburg many miles; but when the tide is accompanied with north-west winds, a great deal of damage is done by the inundations occasioned thereby. There are a great many bridges over the canals, which are mostly on a level with the streets, and some of them have houses on both sides. In the year 833, Ludovicus Pius erected Hamburg first into a bishopric, and afterwards into an archbishopric; and Adolphus III. duke of Saxony, among many other great privileges, granted it the right of fishing in the Elbe, eight miles above and below the city. The kings of Denmark, since they have succeeded to the counts of Holstein, have continually claimed the sovereignty of this place, and often compelled the citizens to pay large sums to purchase the confirmation of their liberties. Nay, it has more than once paid homage to the king of Denmark; who, notwithstanding, keeps a minister here with credentials, which is a sort of acknowledgment of its independency and sovereignty. Though Hamburg has been constantly summoned to the diet of the empire ever since the year 1618, when it was declared a free imperial city by a decree of the aulic council; yet it waves this privilege, in order to keep fair with Denmark. By their situation among a number of poor princes, the Hamburgers are continually exposed to their rapaciousness, especially that of the Danes, who have extorted vast sums from them. The city is very populous in proportion to its bulk; for though one may walk with ease round the ramparts in two hours, yet it contains, exclusive of Jews, at least 100,000 inhabitants. Here are a great many charitable foundations, the regulations of which are greatly admired by foreigners. All persons found begging in the streets are committed to the house of correction to hard labour, such as the raising of Brazil and other kinds of wood. There is an hospital into which unmarried women may be admitted for a small sum, and comfortably maintained during the residue of their lives. The number of hospitals in this place is greater in proportion to its bigness than in any other Protestant city in Europe. The revenue of the orphan-house alone is said to amount to between 50 and 60,000l. There is a large sumptuous hospital for receiving poor travellers that fall sick. In one of their work-houses or houses of correction, those who have not performed their task are hoisted up in a basket over the table in the common hall while the rest are at dinner, that they may be tantalized with the sight and smell of what they cannot taste. The established religion of Hamburg is Lutheranism; as for the Calvinists and the Roman Catholics, they go to the ambassadors chapels to celebrate their divine service and worship. They have here what they call a private confession, previous to the holy communion, which differs in nothing from that of the church of England, and the absolution is the same, only the poorest of the people here are forced to give a fee to the priests on these occasions.
Hamburg caissons. Their churches, which are ancient large fab-
rics, are open thoroughfares, and in some of them
there are bookfellers shops. The pulpit of St Cathe-
rine's is of marble, curiously carved and adorned with
figures and other ornaments of gold; and its organ,
reckoned one of the best in Europe, has 6000 pipes.
The cathedral is very ancient, and its tower leans as if
just going to fall; yet, on account of the singularity
and beauty of its architecture, the danger attending it
has been hitherto overlooked. There is still a dean and
chapter belonging to this church, though secularized;
from whose court there lies no appeal, but to the im-
perial chamber at Wetlar. The chapter consists of a
provost, dean, 13 canons, 8 minor canons, and 30 vi-
carii immuniti, besides others who are under the jurisdic-
tion of the city. The cathedral, with the chapter,
and a number of houses belonging to them, are under
the immediate protection of his Britannic majesty as
duke of Bremen, who disposes of the prebends that fall
in six months of the year, not successively, but alter-
nately with the chapter. Hamburg is almost of a
circular form, and six miles in compass. It has six
gates, and three entrances by water, viz. two from
the Elbe and one from the Alster, being divided into
the old and new, which are strongly fortified with
moats, ramparts, bastions, and outworks. The ram-
parts are very lofty and planted with trees; and of
such a breadth, that several carriages may go abreast.
In the new town, towards Altena, are several streets
of mean houses inhabited by Jews. Through that en-
trance from the Elbe, called the lower Baum, pass all
ships going to or coming from sea. Every morning,
at the opening of it, is seen a multitude of boats and
small barks, whose cargoes consist of milk, fruits, and
all kinds of provisions, rushing in at the same time.
There are some fine effigies here, especially those of
St Nicholas, which play every morning early, at one
o'clock in the afternoon, and on all festivals and so-
lemnities. The other public structures in this city,
besides the churches, make no great appearance: how-
ever, the yard, arsenal, and two armories, are well
worth seeing. There are several convents or cloisters
still remaining; which having been secularized, are
now possessed by the Lutherans. One of them holds its
lands by this tenure, "That they offer a glass of wine
to every malefactor who is carried by it for execution."
There is a fine exchange, though inferior to that
of London. But it was found that the merchants
could not be accommodated with every necessary con-
venience in transacting their business. To supply
these defects a new Exchange Hall has been built.
This structure is situated near the exchange, in the
street called Bohnenstrasse. The facade is in a style of
great elegance, and the entrance has three arcades sup-
ported by pillars of the Doric order. The steps run
the whole breadth of the arcades, the intervals between
which are ornamented with genii holding garlands of
fruits and flowers. The doors leading to the ground
floor of the building are on the right and left of the
Reps. The porter's lodge is on the right, and the door
leading to the ball and concert room in the second stor-
y, is on the left. The balcony is vaulted, and mea-
sures 22 feet in diameter. The facade is terminated by
the third or attic story, which is provided with a row
of Doric pilasters, above which there is a pediment.
The entrance into the hall is behind the central ar-
cade, which is ornamented with a row of single statues,
and measures 84 feet by 42. It is appropriated to the
meeting of merchants and men of business. There are
several other saloons or apartments, such as the Egyp-
tian saloon surrounded with columns of granite, be-
tween which are landscapes in the manner of a panora-
ma; and the underwriters have two rooms adjoining to
this. The reading-room is furnished with all kinds of
newspapers and periodical works from every quarter of
the globe. The library is to contain all books neces-
sary for commerce, in every language, to collect which
must be the work of time. There is an anti-room with
embellishments to the left of the great staircase.
The Hall of Arts is well adapted to the meetings of
artists, which ought never to be wanting in establish-
ments of such a nature. Here are five excellent pic-
tures representing poetry, painting, sculpture, architec-
ture, and music, together with the portraits of many
celebrated men who have distinguished themselves in the
arts. The ball and concert room measures 64 feet by 42,
and the roof is 30 feet high. The gallery is supported
by 18 pillars or columns of the Composite order, and
the access to it is by the great staircase. The ceiling
represents the firmament studded with stars, and Aurora
dispersing the shades of night. There is also an Ara-
bic, Turkish, and Grecian saloon, which the subscribers
are at liberty to use as they please. The two spacious
dining rooms may be thrown into one, when necessity
requires it. They are ornamented with basso relievos
in plaster of Paris.
The saloon of the muses and the musical saloon are
on the third floor. A large room, in form of a ro-
tunda, receives light from above, and may be considered
as an academy of the imitative arts. A complete
apparatus for expeditious printing also belongs to this
magnificent fabric, under the direction of Mr Conrad
Müller, an eminent printer in Hamburg, whose atten-
tion will be chiefly directed to the publishing of books
on mercantile subjects. The whole edifice is finished
in a style of great elegance and taste, and the manage-
ment given to one who is fully qualified for the office.
It is the custom of Hamburg, that a citizen, when
he dies, must leave the tenth of his estate to the city;
and foreigners, not naturalized, must pay a certain sum
annually for liberty to trade. The common carts here
are only a long pulley laid upon an axle-tree between
two wheels, and drawn not by horses, but by men, of
whom a dozen or more are sometimes linked to these
machines, with slings across their shoulders. Such of
the senators, principal elders, divines, regular physi-
cians, and graduates in law, as assist at funerals, have
a fee. The hangman's house is the common prison for
all malefactors; on whom sentence is always passed on
Friday, and on Monday they are executed. As, by
their laws, no criminal is punishable unless he plead
guilty, they have five different kinds of torture to ex-
tort such confession. The government of this city is
lodged in the senate and three colleges of burghers.
The former is vested with almost every act of sovereign-
ty, except that of laying taxes and managing the fi-
nances, which are the prerogatives of the latter. The
magnificence is composed of four burgomasters, four syn-
dics, and 24 aldermen, of whom some are lawyers and
some merchants. Any person elected into the magi-
stracy,
Hamburg. francy, and declining the office, must depart the place. No burgher is admitted into any of the colleges, unless he dwells in a house of his own within the city, and is possessed of 1000 rixdollars in specie, over and above the sum for which the house may be mortgaged; or 2000 in moveable goods, within the jurisdiction of the same. For the administration of justice, here are several inferior courts, from which an appeal lies to the Obergericht, or high court, and from that to the aulic council and other imperial colleges. For naval causes here is a court of admiralty, which, jointly with the city-treasury, is also charged with the care of the navigation of the Elbe, from the city to the river's mouth. In consequence of this, 100 large buoys, some white, others black, are kept constantly floating in the river in summer: but in winter, instead of some of them, there are machines, like those called ice-beacons, to point out the shoals and flats. Subordinate to the admiralty is a company of pilots; and at the mouth of the Elbe is, or at least ought to be, a vessel always riding, with pilots ready to put on board the ships. At the mouth of the river also is a good harbour, called Cuxhaven, belonging to Hamburg; a light-house; and several beacons, some of them very large. For defraying the expence of these, certain tolls and duties were formerly granted by the emperors to the city. Besides the Elbe, there is a canal by which a communication is opened with the Trave, and thereby with Lubeck and the Baltic, without the hazard, trouble, and expence, of going about by the Sound. The trade of Hamburg is exceeding great, in exporting all the commodities and manufactures of the several cities and states of Germany, and supplying them with whatever they want from abroad. Its exports consist of linens of several sorts and countries; as lawns, diapers, Osnaburges, dowlas, &c. linen-yarn, tin-plates, iron, brass, and steel-ware, clap-board, pipe-staves, wainscoat-boards, oak-plank, and timber, kid-skins, corn, beer in great quantities, with flax, honey, wax, aniseed, linseed, drugs, wine, tobacco, and metals. Its principal imports are the woollen manufactures and other goods of Great Britain, to the amount of several hundred thousand pounds a-year: they have also a great trade with Spain, Portugal, and Italy, which is carried on mostly in English bottoms, on account of their Mediterranean passes. Their whale-fishery is also very considerable, 50 or 60 ships being generally sent out every year in this trade. Add to these a variety of manufactures, which are performed here with great success; the chief of which are, sugar-baking, calico-printing, the weaving of damasks, brocades, velvets, and other rich silks. The inland trade of Hamburg is superior to that of any in Europe, unless perhaps we should except that of Amsterdam and London. There is a paper published here at stated times called the Preiscurant, specifying the course of exchange, with the price which every commodity and merchandise bore last upon the exchange. There is also a board of trade, erected on purpose for the advancing every project for the improvement of commerce. Another great advantage to the merchants is, the bank established in 1619, which has a flourishing credit. To supply the poor with corn at a low price, here are public granaries, in which great quantities of grain are laid up. By charters from several emperors, the Hamburgers have a right of
coinage, which they actually exercise. The English merchants, or Hamburg Company, as it is called, enjoy great privileges; for they hold a court with particular powers, and a jurisdiction among themselves, and have a church and minister of their own.—This city has a district belonging to it of considerable extent, which abounds with excellent pastures, intermixed with several large villages and noblemen's seats. A small bailiwick, called Bergedorf, belongs to this city and Lubeck.—Though Hamburg has an undoubted right to a seat in the diet of the empire, yet as she pays no contributions to the military chest in time of war, and is also unwilling to draw upon herself the resentment of Denmark, she makes no use of that privilege. There is a schola illustris or gymnasium here, well endowed, with fix able professors, who read lectures in it as at the universities. There are also several free schools, and a great number of libraries, public and private. The public cellar of this town has always a prodigious stock and vent of old hock, which brings in a considerable revenue to the state. Besides the militia or trained bands, there is an establishment of regular forces, consisting of 12 companies of infantry, and one troop of dragoons, under the commandant, who is usually a foreigner, and one who has distinguished himself in the service. There is also an artillery company, and a night-guard: the last of which is posted at night all over the city, and calls the hours.