Fuhlsbüttel Lock Holger, 68 Jahre, Fuhlsbüttel
My Hamburg is my neighbourhood. Although I worked in the city for decades and associate the area around the Rathausmarkt and the harbour with this city, as well as the pubs in St. Georg and the Schanze, I have always lived in Fuhlsbüttel.
I was born here, but my parents are actually “immigrants”. They called themselves “refugees” and came to Hamburg in 1945 after the German eastern territories became Polish.
That was particularly difficult for my mother and she couldn’t let go. But I am from Hamburg and the young people in Wrocław are Polish. I wanted to communicate with them and be friends instead of arguing for generations to come about who lived on a particular piece of land and when.
That’s why I found the slogan “Never again fascism, never again war!” much better. The war started in Germany and people were tortured in the Fuhlsbüttel concentration camp (KoLaFu). It made sense to have campaigned since the 1980s to have a memorial here today. Forced labourers were deported from the conquered territories and exploited. Today, the former Nazi forced labour barracks at the airport are home to the “Forced Labour Information Centre”. Stolpersteine in my district also commemorate people who were once neighbours but were then deported and murdered. Streets that honoured criminals instead of real role models were also renamed. We had to fight for all of this for years, but this is my Hamburg and my district, where history can be critically appropriated.
Because this should remain a good place to live, where you can also get involved in the future. The picture shows the Fuhlsbüttel lock on the Alster river at the newly named Louisa-Kamana-Weg.
HAMBURG IS DIVERSE AND FULL OF STORIES. YOURS IS ONE OF THEM! WILL YOU TELL US YOUR STORY?
Many perspectives of people from Hamburg’s urban society have not yet been reflected in the Museum of Hamburg History (MHG). We want to change this with this project.
With the help of public participation – these can be digital formats, but also mobile anchors or meeting points in public places in the various city districts – we want to encourage Hamburg residents to share the realities of their lives.
During its modernization, the MHG invites people to tell their stories so that some of them can find their way into the collections and exhibitions in the long term.
We invite you to share your story with us. Whether short, long, serious or humorous – everything is welcome. What connects you to Hamburg? What brought you here? What keeps you here? Where is your Hamburg? Feel free to share something about your life and everyday life in the city or in your district, your wishes and hopes for Hamburg.