Locations

Not far from St. Petri Church once stood a fortress that gave Hamburg its name, the Hammaburg. Built at the point where the Alster met the Elbe, it was likely constructed initially as a protective rampart with a moat. Over time, this small settlement grew into the Hanseatic city of Hamburg, which is why Hammaburg is considered the historical birthplace of the city.

Hammaburg-Platz is currently a green, largely landscaped open space of around one hectare in the centre of Hamburg, located in the Hamburg-Altstadt district. It lies south of the main church of St. Petri and west of the Kontorhaus district, bordered by Speersort to the north, Schmiedestraße/Alter Fischmarkt to the west, Schopenstehl to the south, and Buceriusstraße with the Helmut-Schmidt-House to the east.

The site has been regarded as one of the most historically and culturally significant places in Hamburg. For centuries it was home to the Mariendom, a cathedral built from 1245 in the Early Gothic style, itself preceded by smaller churches that had been erected and destroyed on the same spot in earlier centuries. The cathedral was demolished between 1804 and 1806, after which the site hosted the schools, library, and museum rooms of the Johanneum. When the Johanneum relocated, the building was repurposed as a state library, until it was so severely damaged in 1943 that it had to be entirely removed. For decades afterwards, the square served as little more than a car park, before archaeological excavations were carried out from 2006 onwards.

The redesign of the square was completed in 2008, transforming it into a green oasis of calm in the heart of the city. The design takes its cues from the layout of the historic Hammaburg. The outline of the former defensive wall ring is echoed by a partially walkable structure made of sheet steel. Within this boundary lies a large lawn with individually planted trees and 39 regularly arranged white acrylic seating elements, positioned to mark the locations of the former cathedral's supporting pillars. At night, these benches are illuminated from within, and one of them features a window offering a view down to a preserved pillar foundation from the old cathedral. The current design emerged from a public ideas competition and serves as an interim solution pending a final urban-planning decision for the site.

Agnes Denes’ Sunflower Fields is growing at the Hammaburg-Platz in the summer 2026.


Sources:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammaburg-Platz

https://www.hamburg.de/politik-und-verwaltung/behoerden/bukea/themen/hamburgs-gruen/oeffentliche-plaetze/domplatz-278798

https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/article241736868/Hamburger-Domplatz-wird-zum-Hammaburg-Platz.html