HAMBURG, a republican state in Germany, consisting of the city of that name, and of the territory around it, though some portions are encompassed by the dominions of Denmark and of Hanover. It has also, in union with the state of Lubeck, the bailiwick of Bergedorf, with the town of that name, containing 2000 inhabitants. The bailiwick of Ritzebuttel, of which Hamburg is the sovereign, contains the town of that name, and also Cruxhaven, and extends between the mouths of the rivers Elbe and Weser, over about thirty-four square miles, and contains 4000 inhabitants.

The city of Hamburg, one of the greatest emporiums of foreign commerce on the continent of Europe, is situated on the north bank of the river Elbe, about seventy-five miles from its mouth, by which the larger class of merchant vessels can reach it with facility. It was strongly fortified both on the land and the river sides, but during the revolutionary wars its defences were found to require so large a garrison, that since peace has restored it to independence, the walls have been converted into pleasant gardens and promenades. It has two lakes on its eastern side, the Great and Little Alster, on one of which a row of trees forms a pleasant walk, called the Junfersteign or Young Lady’s Walk, which is the scene of the recreation of the inhabitants, and on which are the best hotels of the city.

The city, like other ancient towns, consists of narrow and crooked streets, of houses large, lofty, and gloomy, and of canals communicating with the river, by which the craft can convey goods from the ships on the river to the various stores of the merchants. None of the public buildings display remarkable taste. The stadthouse is large and heavy; and under it are those large wine-cellars belonging to the city, which, before the French seized it, were filled with nearly 400 large casks, containing about , sixty hogsheads each of Rhenish wine of all ages, from 160 to one year old. There are in Hamburg sixteen Lutheran, two Calvinist, and one Catholic church, besides chapels for the English, and for some small sects. St Michael’s church is the most striking, and has a tower 450 feet in height. The bank, the exchange, the admiralty, the house of industry, and other public buildings, are appropriated for their specific purposes, but exhibit nothing peculiar in their architecture. During the French possession, the military commandant compelled the city to construct a bridge across the Elbe, which is near seven miles in breadth, at a vast expense; but upon recovering their independence, it was taken down, and the timber of which it was composed was sold. The intercourse with Harburg on the opposite bank is now maintained by means of barques, steam-boats, and other craft, which pass to and fro almost hourly. The government of Hamburg resides in the senate, which is composed of thirty-six members, four of whom are termed burgomasters, four syndics, one the prothonotary, one the keeper of the archives, and two secretaries. They are chosen by the body of the citizens, who for this purpose are formed into five divisions or classes. The administration of civil as well as of criminal law is confided to three graduated courts, with a power of appeal from the lower to the higher courts. The principles of the Roman law are acted upon in the several courts. The police is well regulated, and maintains what is called a city guard of 400. It maintains a regular military body of 1850 men, besides an organized corps of city militia. The revenue is derived from personal imposts on the different classes of burghers, and from tolls on foreign ships, and slight duties on importation, amounting to about L. 150,000 yearly. The debt owing by the state is about L.650,000, but it is annually diminishing. The commerce of the city is carried on with other countries, both by Hamburg and foreign-built ships. The former, constructed in their own ship-yards, are commonly well built, of great strength and burden, and generally proceed to sea well equipped. Many of them repair to the Greenland fishery, and return with blubber, which is converted into oil at appropriate places on the verge of the city. Other Hamburg ships repair to America, Asia, and the Mediterranean. The greater part, however, of the ships that convey cargoes to Hamburg are foreigners; the largest number are British, next to them are the North American, and some are of almost every maritime country, all of whom have consuls to protect their several interests. From the position of Hamburg, near the mouth of a river navigable more than five hundred miles above its embouchure, it enjoys a prodigious internal trade. It is the necessary entrepôt for a great part of Prussia, for the whole of the kingdom of Saxony, for Bohemia, and for several portions of other states in the interior of Germany. As these have no other channel of intercourse with the sea, they obtain their sugar, coffee, rice, tobacco, cotton, wine, rum, fruits, tea, besides articles of clothing, from the stores deposited in Hamburg. They export also through the same channel their corn, flax, linen yarn and cloths, wax, honey, rags, feathers, and the various products of the soil. Thus in Hamburg, as in London, the commodities of every country, and of every climate, may at all times meet both purchasers and sellers.

The manufacturing industry of Hamburg is likewise very considerable. It is exhibited in sugar refineries, in spinning-mills, hat-making, in linen, silk, and velvet weaving, in calico-printing, snuff and tobacco preparing, whalebone cutting, in making gold and silver articles, and in several other ways. The schools are conducted in a beneficial manner for the education and improvement of the inhabitants. A gymnasium or high school, a kind of college, has five professors; and the Johanneum, of the same kind, has one director and seventeen tutors, and both are well regulated, as are also the schools for the rudiments of learning. The institutions for the relief of poverty, sickness, and old age, are benevolently and economically supported. There are both French and German theatres, and the gratifications of music and dancing are amply provided for. This city is situated in longitude 9. 46. 27. east, and latitude 53. 34. 32. north. The total number of the inhabitants amounted, in 1832, to 122,000 within the city.