From the Harbour to Your Cup. Hamburg's Coffee Story

As early as 1677, one of Hamburg’s first coffee houses opened. At the time, merchants brought coffee from overseas and helped make the drink popular in the city.

The coffee trade grew quickly at first. Later, however, new regulations and difficulties in direct trade slowed its development. During the German Empire, the business began to grow again.

In 1886, companies involved in the coffee trade in Hamburg formed an association. One year later, in 1887, the coffee exchange opened at Sandtorkai. Large quantities of coffee were traded there within a short period of time.

At the same time, the Speicherstadt became the center of Hamburg’s coffee trade. However, the industry also faced setbacks. The coffee exchange was destroyed during the Second World War. After the war, the coffee trade gradually recovered.