history of Hamburg

The history of Hamburg Germany has many interesting facets. In the eleventh century it was burned by the King of Poland, and during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries it entered into the Hanseatic League, becoming an economic power due to its proximity to the ocean. In the sixteenth century, it embraced the Protestant Reformation and received a large number of religious refugees from the Netherlands and France. At times, Hamburg was under Danish control, and it was even briefly taken by Napoleon during the early part of the nineteenth century. After the end of World War II and the drawing of the Iron Curtain, Hamburg was West Germany's only true city. As a result it acquired a cultural importance to make up for its damaged economic role suffered in the aftermath of both World Wars. Since reunification, Hamburg has been striving to reacquire its position as the area's largest deep sea port.