Mystical Hamburg – what stories surround the Hanseatic city? We’ll tell you in this new blog post.
Port cities are not only a transshipment point for goods, but also for stories of all kinds. As things are always pretty rough on the ships and in the harbor pubs, many dark stories have happened and continue to happen there – and mystical legends arise from actual events.
Here we give you a little insight into the somewhat different, adventurous and mystical Hamburg – probably the most famous mystical Hamburg story has a true core, but has certainly been embellished more and more in the course of tradition and is therefore to a large extent more legendary and mystical than really believable.
Humbug from Hamburg?
The legendary pirate Klaus Störtebeker is said to have repeatedly caused serious damage to the Hamburg merchant fleet at the end of the 14th century. Störtebeker’s name, which roughly translates as “overturn the cup”, was supposedly given to him because he was able to empty a 4-liter tankard of wine or beer in one go.
On April 22, 1401, the people of Hamburg succeeded in capturing Störtebeker and putting him on trial. During his trial, Klaus Störtebeker is said to have offered the councillors a golden chain that would go around the entire city of Hamburg if they would let him live. However, the council refused and Störtebeker and 72 of his companions were beheaded on October 21, 1401 on Grasbrook, an island near the entrance to the port of Hamburg.
Mystical Störtebeker
The mystical part of this legend says that Störtebeker made a promise to the mayor of Hamburg that he would give his life to all the men he passed by after his beheading.
No sooner said than done. Störtebeker allegedly walked past eleven of his followers without a head. But this – and he – went too far for the executioner. As he was paid per beheading, he feared for his income and tripped the beheaded man.
After the pirate’s body fell to the ground, the mayor broke his promise and had all the pirates beheaded.
Another legend claims that a member of the council praised the executioner for his excellent work. To which the latter is said to have replied that he was not yet tired and could easily behead the entire council.
The extremely humorless council then had the cheeky executioner beheaded by its youngest councillor, thereby saving himself his salary.
The legendary Breckwoldt house
The oldest house in Hamburg’s Blankenese district is said to be haunted to this day. Footsteps can be heard there again and again. The haunting began when Captain Peter Breckwoldt, who lived in the house with his wife, sank with his ship in the waters of the Atlantic on a voyage from Mexico to England in 1880.
However, his wife simply refused to accept his death and waited for years for him to return. Time and again, when she was sitting in the house knitting in the evening, she would clearly hear footsteps and be frightened, but at the same time hoped that the door would open at any moment and her husband would enter the living room – in vain.
Catharina Breckwoldt waited 17 years for her husband and allegedly heard his footsteps again and again.
One stormy February night in 1897, she was standing at the window and suddenly saw her husband stretching his arms out towards her. However, he did not reach her and she saw in her mind’s eye how he was sinking into the storm-tossed sea – and then fainted. She then had him declared dead and never heard his footsteps again until her own death in 1924.
Although the mystical creaking of the floorboards under heavy footsteps was no longer audible to the widow Breckwoldt from this point on, it was certainly audible to the later residents of this house.
Work is currently underway to restore this mystical Hamburg house, which is probably the oldest still standing in the port city (it is estimated to be at least 450 years old), to its original state. It will be interesting to see whether this mystical haunting will be over once and for all after the restoration, or whether the spirit of the old sea dog will continue to make itself felt in the future.
Mysterious monoliths – also in Hamburg:
Speaking of hauntings and mysterious events: They are 3 meters high, mirrored and suddenly appeared out of nowhere all over the world – in Salt Lake City as well as in the Schwarzenberg park in Hamburg in December 2020: mysterious, rectangular columns.
But just as suddenly as these monoliths appear, they disappear again. The very next day, the “alien haunting” in Hamburg was over again and the mysterious artifact disappeared without a trace. To this day, it is still unclear what is behind these monolith mysteries – a group of artists, pranksters or really aliens?
Hamburg’s strange school:
To this day, Hamburg is a favorite area for ghosts, nymphs, elves, fairies, trolls and water spirits.
It is therefore not surprising that the Hanseatic city has its own “elf school” where you can learn how to approach these mythical creatures and communicate with them.
Elves prefer to live in areas where there is a lot of fog, including Hamburg, of course. Please don’t laugh now – after all, Iceland even had its own elf commissioner named Erla Stefansdóttir, who was responsible for ensuring that no roads were built through elf territory at the municipal building authority. Hamburg is currently still hesitating to appoint its own elf commissioner.
If you also have a sense for the supernatural and perceive vibrations and energies that you cannot explain, then you will meet like-minded people at Hamburg’s School for Fairies to exchange experiences and learn how to sharpen your senses for the supernatural and the mystical.
Mystical Hamburg for those with strong nerves:
The OPOLUM is also mystical. It is not entirely clear what goes on inside the historic warehouse. In the evening hours, the atmosphere transforms into an abandoned harbor. Some people say that strange creatures hang around there. Will you dare to enter this place?
The mixture of mystery theater and escape room will give you an experience that will set your pulse racing. Book your mysterious experience now at www.opolum.com
