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Wilhelmsburg is Hamburg's largest and most diverse district. Neglected for decades, the big island in the river is increasingly in the interest of Hamburg: because of its scenic beauty, its industrial romanticism, as a place to live, but also for large-scale projects of various kinds. In 2013, the International Building Exhibition (IBA) and the International Garden Show Hamburg (IGS) took place here ) instead of. They are part of a complex revaluation process that does not seem to be over yet.
Two themed tours deal specifically with this process: a bike tour and a tour that looks at the changes especially in the west of Wilhelmsburg and in the middle of Wilhelmsburg.
There are also our classic tours, such as the large bike tour across the island to Bunthäuser Spitze and the tours in the west of Wilhelmsburg (Reiherstieg district) and in the east of Wilhelmsburg. They do not exclude this process either, but they refer above all to the history of this island, to its peculiarities, and also to natural paradises to be found here.
As a workers' residential area, the district has always been shaped by developments in the port. Immigrants from Poland and eastern Germany found work and bread here at the end of the 19th century. They were followed by immigrants from Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece, Turkey and other countries from the mid-1960s.
Today Wilhelmsburg is a very lively and at the same time relatively poor district, shaped by many nations and cultures. Due to rationalization in the port and logistics companies, many jobs were lost. The appreciation process initiated by the Senate with the IBA and the IGS is therefore welcomed by many. But not everything about IBA and IGS is positive for Wilhelmsburg.
The old air-raid shelter stands in the middle of the Reiherstieg district. It commemorates the Second World War, the rule of the Nazis, the hundreds of forced laborers who had to work here. But just a few steps away, we come across traces of resistance. We hear about the actions of student Hans Leipelt and worker athlete Rudolf Mokry. We are where the war and the Nazis were fought and fought again and again.
Beyond these beautiful old buildings, we recognize grain silos, large container areas and industrial plants. A third of the Elbe island is controlled by the port development company HPA. What does that mean for the people on the island?
Wilhelmsburg is a district full of contradictions: the best way to experience untouched natural paradises is from a bicycle saddle. However, we also visit the Tide floodplain forest, which is unique in Europe, during our tours in the east of Wilhelmsburg. A sea of reeds, grasses, trees and branches lures here.
We will deal with all of this during our tours, bike rides and barge rides on the subject of Wilhelmsburg. Each with a different focus. Often in the end associated with the opportunity to stop.
