Hamburg is a State of Mind

The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is one of the oldest republics in Europe. Its 1.8 million residents are just as proud of their more than 800 year old maritime tradition as they are of the fact that since 1996 they have been able to play host to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

Trade and business, shipping and services are essential to the character of the city. Hamburg stands to benefit from the enlargement of the European Union, which will give rise to important markets; economically, the city and its surrounding area constitute one of the strongest regions of Europe.

Science and research are unequivocally international and increasingly geared towards public-private partnerships; culture occupies a prominent place in the life of the city.

Hamburg is a state of mind: the global ties and relations that have been cemented over centuries and that are constantly being extended have moulded Hamburg's reputation as a cosmopolitan and tolerant metropolis. Understatement and patronage of the arts are essential features of this attitude.

The "green metropolis" of Hamburg is acknowledged as having the highest quality of life in Germany. It is along the Elbe and around the Alster, in the middle of the city, in particular that the maritime and commercial characteristics of the city are represented most vividly.