I grew up in Hamburg
Lennon's line explaining why this city is part of the band's story.
JeanPaulGRingault — CC0 · Freepenguin — CC BY-SA 3.0 · hh oldman — CC BY 3.0 · Lipinski — CC BY-SA 3.0
A circular square at the entrance to Große Freiheit in the St Pauli district, opened in 2008, holding five hollow steel figures of the Beatles. The reason it is here is specific: the band played the clubs of this street between 1960 and 1962, before any fame, in sets running for hours every night before a rowdy audience. They spent around eight hundred hours on stage here across several residencies. John Lennon later said the line that is always quoted: I was born in Liverpool, but I grew up in Hamburg. The figures are hollow — steel silhouettes rather than solid statues — and there are five because they include Stuart Sutcliffe, who died in Hamburg in 1962, and merge Pete Best and Ringo Starr into a single drummer figure. The square itself is designed as a black vinyl record, its rim inscribed with their song titles. A practical note: St Pauli is a nightlife and red-light district, and its character at night is entirely different from its character by day.
Lennon's line explaining why this city is part of the band's story.
The figures include Stuart Sutcliffe, who died in Hamburg in 1962.
Designed as a black disc with song titles inscribed around its rim.
The entrance to Große Freiheit, St Pauli
Most do not. The Indra, the Kaiserkeller and the Star-Club were the main venues; the Star-Club burned in 1987 and was never rebuilt, with a memorial plaque where it stood. The Kaiserkeller still exists by name but has changed greatly. Anyone wanting the full story takes a specialist walking tour of the district, which runs regularly.
Generally yes, and the district is busy and policed. But be aware: the Reeperbahn and around it is a dense nightlife area with drinking and loud tourism, and pickpocketing happens. Some side streets are designated for legal prostitution and have entry rules — one is closed to women and minors. By day the district is entirely ordinary and much quieter.
Sign in to write your review of this place.
No reviews yet — be the first.