Fuhlsbüttel

Fuhlsbüttel is a northern district of Hamburg, Germany, best known for its international airport and its history as the site of a Nazi concentration camp. The area was once a village given to Hamburg in 1871 and later became home to an airship base in 1912. During the First World War, the base supported reconnaissance and bombing missions over the North Sea and England. The prison in Fuhlsbüttel was converted into a concentration camp in 1933, initially run by the SA before the Gestapo took control in 1936. The camp held political opponents, Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Romani people, homosexual men and others targeted by the Nazi regime. Over 700 people were imprisoned there after Kristallnacht in 1938, and more than 250 were murdered before the camp’s liberation on 3 May 1945. Many prisoners were later sent to other camps such as Buchenwald or Neuengamme. Notable inmates included First World War veteran Hellmuth von Mücke, memoirist Maurice Sachs and writer Jan Valtin. A memorial stands nearby to honour those who suffered there. Today, Fuhlsbüttel is a quiet residential area with a typical oceanic climate. The district is served by the U-Bahn line U1 and the S-Bahn S1, making it easily accessible. St. Marien Lutheran Church is a notable building in the area. The quarter covers 6.6 square kilometres and has a population of around 11,890 people.