Experience culture. Poetry Slam in Hamburg

"unter der Reeperbahn"

400 years of the Reeperbahn mean much more than just a kilometer of red-light district. They mark the historical existence of Hamburg's famous thoroughfare. Over the centuries, it has changed and reinvented itself time and again. On the many walking tours, visitors learn about its history and stories of good times and bad. Moments of euphoria, hope, and despair at the outbreak of World War II. A war made possible only by its proximity to the port.

With the Nazi Party's rise to power in the 1930s, the political landscape changed dramatically. Germany was at war and began a massive rearmament program. Once again, the Port of Hamburg became a focal point. As the most important armaments production center, the region became a prime target. Shelters were needed to protect the war-essential workers. Without their labor, the war would have been lost quickly. Bunkers were required and constructed as rapidly as possible. Due to the geological conditions, the construction of these massive structures was only possible on the St. Pauli side of the Elbe River. Space was to be created near the Elbe for 40,000 dockworkers and their families. In just a few years, a variety of shelter types were built.

Join me as we journey into the past and together we'll decide what makes the most sense for its future use!

3rd Hamburg Chess Tennis Challenge

Dear chess and tennis players,

we are hosting the Hamburg Chess Tennis Challenge for the third time this year.

This year, our tournament will take place on July 25th and 26th at the SV St. Georg tennis club in Hamburg Hamm.

You can expect 7 rounds of Swiss system play, with each match consisting of a rapid chess game (10+5) and a short tennis set to 4 against the same opponent.

Fun is guaranteed, and there's an attractive prize pool of €1400!

You can find more information about the tournament and register at http://www.chesstennis.de and https://www.instagram.com/chesstennis.de/

We look forward to your registration!

400 Jahre Reeperbahn - Teil 2

Everyone knows the Reeperbahn, but the story behind its name is unfamiliar to many! To mark the 400th anniversary of the Reeperbahn(s), the Museum of Hamburg History, in cooperation with local historian Eva Decker and renowned city historian Dominik Kloss, is offering a program dedicated to the origins and forerunners of the St. Pauli district: what role did the ropewalkers and their ropewalks play over the past 400 years, and how did they shape St. Pauli? What traces of their history can still be found today in the district and its eastern neighbors? The tour is divided into two 90-minute parts, taking place on consecutive Sundays. Alternating between the first and last two centuries since 1626, the tour explains the reasons for the repeated relocation of this unique craft outside the city walls and the development of the St. Pauli suburb – always following in the footsteps of the ropemakers and their guild, as well as the milieu in which they lived and worked. Note: Tours must be booked individually. Duration: 90 minutes. Cost: €10 per person (€5 reduced). Meeting point Part 1: In front of the Museum of Hamburg History, Holstenwall 24, 20355 Hamburg (end of Millerntor Guardhouse). Meeting point Part 2: In front of the Millerntor Guardhouse, Millerntorplatz 20, 20359 Hamburg (end of Beatles Square). Recommended for adults and young people aged 14 and over. Here you can find Part 1 of the tour.

6. internationales Spielbudenfestival

From July 24th to 26th, 2026, it's that time again – Spielbudenplatz will be transformed into a stage for change. For the sixth time, the Corny Littmann Foundation for Art and Culture is bringing international street artists to St. Pauli – to a place where art doesn't need a red carpet, but rather asphalt underfoot.

Here, the unconventional has a long tradition – for over 200 years. At the end of the 18th century, the first wooden booths of jugglers, tightrope walkers, and showmen stood here. They gave the square its name – and made it a place where entertainment took place right in the heart of life. The Spielbudenfestival (Game Booth Festival) continues this tradition.

2026 will be all about transformation:

Bodies become a bridge.

Old bicycles are transformed into a vibrant herd of mechanical beings.

A single white figure becomes a collaborative work of art.

A recorder becomes a spectacle.

A fire truck for an acrobatic show.

For three days, Spielbudenplatz transforms into what St. Pauli does best: a place where anything seems possible. Here, people juggle, play music, perform magic, build things – and paint. Acrobatics meets clowning, brass band music meets gospel, magic meets mechanical beings. And the audience? They're not just on the sidelines, they're right in the thick of it.

Three days. Countless transformations.

No frills. No entrance fee.

Just art. Right in the middle of the street.

A Call to Art

»A Call to Art« This workshop is a space for racialized artists and artists navigating social or economic barriers in pursuit of their artistic vision. Exploring how dance and somatic practices can support artists in navigating structural barriers while remaining connected to their creative vision.

A Nail to Hang the Day On

Embedded within even the most basic household item is an emotional charge that binds it to the lives of those who use it, far exceeding the function of the object itself. Habit, trauma, fantasy, desire, or memory lodge themselves into our belongings, and the cold surfaces of a toaster or a cutting board transform, become abstract, and fossilise over time, from possessions into something else. The less directly useful an object slowly becomes, the more it accumulates meaning, specificity, and identity—and a broken chair can sometimes mean and matter more than a new one.