Hamburg is located in Northern Germany on the Elbe and Alster Rivers, near the North Sea. Hamburg is Germany’s 2nd largest city with an approximate population of 1.7 million, and is Germany’s economic center. Hamburg is a busy port city that handles ½ of Germany’s imports and exports, as well as a manufacturing hub specializing in copper, vegetable and mineral oils, machinery, and cigarettes. Hamburg began in the 9th century as a defense center for Charlemagne but quickly rose in status after it became a major missionary center in Northern Europe. Hamburg is known for its many opera houses, theaters, book and magazine publishing; the city is home to Germany’s TV and radio broadcasting centers. Sites in Hamburg include the Binnalster and Aussenalster Lakes, the St. Pauli district, and the Reeperbahn, a former notorious red-light district. The composers Mendelssohn and Brahms were born in Hamburg.
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