View source for Bergedorf

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{for|the locality within this borough|Bergedorf (quarter)}}
{{redirect|Hamburg-Bergedorf|other uses}}
{{Infobox German location
|name             = Bergedorf
|German_name      = Bergedorf 
|type             = Borough
|City             = Hamburg
|image_photo      = Bergedorfer Hafen.JPG
|image_caption    = The small harbour in Bergedorf.
|image_flag       = Flag of Bergedorf, Hamburg.png
|image_coa        = DEU Hamburg-Bergedorf COA.svg
|coordinates      = {{coord|53|29|14|N|10|12|37|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|state            = Hamburg
|divisions        = 14 quarters
|Bürgermeistertitel = 
|mayor            = 
|area             = 154.8
|pop_ref          = <ref>{{Population Germany|key=02|datref=QUELLE}}</ref>
|population       = {{Population Germany|key=026}}
|population_as_of = {{Population Germany|key=02|datref=STAND}}
|postal_code      = 
|area_code        = 040
|licence          = HH
|year             = 
|plantext         = Boroughs of Hamburg
|image_plan       = Boroughs of Hamburg.jpg
}}
'''Bergedorf''' ({{IPA|de|ˈbɛʁɡədɔʁf|lang|De-Bergedorf.ogg}}) is the largest of the seven [[Boroughs and quarters of Hamburg#Boroughs|boroughs]] of [[Hamburg]], [[Germany]], named after [[Bergedorf (quarter)|Bergedorf quarter]] within this borough. In 2020 the population of the borough was 130,994.

==History==
The [[Bergedorf (quarter)|city of Bergedorf]] received [[town privileges]] in 1275, then a part of the younger [[Duchy of Saxony]] (1180–1296), which was partitioned by its four co-ruling dukes in 1296 into the branch duchies of [[Saxe-Lauenburg]] and [[Saxe-Wittenberg]]. Bergedorf then became part of the former. This was only to last until 1303, when Lauenburg's three co-ruling dukes, [[Albert III of Saxe-Lauenburg|Albert III]], [[Eric I of Saxe-Lauenburg|Eric I]], and [[John II of Saxe-Lauenburg|John II]] partitioned their branch duchy into three smaller duchies.

Eric then held Bergedorf ([[Vierlande]]) and Lauenburg and inherited the share of his childless brother Albert III, Saxe-Ratzeburg, after he was already deceased in 1308 and a retained section from Albert's widow [[Margaret of Brandenburg|Margaret of Brandenburg-Salzwedel]] on her death.<ref>Cordula Bornefeld, "Die Herzöge von Sachsen-Lauenburg", in: ''Die Fürsten des Landes: Herzöge und Grafen von Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg'' [De slevigske hertuger; German], Carsten Porskrog Rasmussen (ed.) on behalf of the Gesellschaft für Schleswig-Holsteinische Geschichte, Neumünster: Wachholtz, 2008, pp. 373-389, here p. 377. {{ISBN|978-3-529-02606-5}}</ref> However, his other brother, John II, then claimed a part, so in 1321 Eric conceded Bergedorf (with Vierlande) to him, whose share thus became known thereafter as Saxe-Bergedorf-Mölln while Eric's was known as Saxe-Ratzeburg-Lauenburg.

In 1370, John's fourth successor [[Eric III of Saxe-Lauenburg|Eric III]] pawned the [[Herrschaft (territory)|Herrschaft]] of [[Bergedorf (quarter)|Bergedorf]], the Vierlande, half the [[Sachsenwald|Saxon Wood]] and [[Geesthacht]] to [[Free City of Lübeck|Lübeck]] in return for a credit of 16,262.5 Lübeck [[Mark (money)|marks]].<ref>Elisabeth Raiser, ''Städtische Territorialpolitik im Mittelalter: eine vergleichende Untersuchung ihrer verschiedenen Formen am Beispiel Lübecks und Zürichs'', Lübeck and Hamburg: Matthiesen, 1969, (Historische Studien; 406), p. 90, simultaneously: Hamburg, Univ., Diss., 1969.</ref> This acquisition included much of the trade route between [[Hamburg]] and Lübeck, thus providing a safe passage for freight between the cities. Eric III only retained a life tenancy.

The city of Lübeck and Eric III further stipulated, that upon his death, Lübeck would be entitled to take possession of the pawned areas until his successors repaid the credit and simultaneously exercised the repurchase of Mölln (contracted in 1359), altogether amounting to the then enormous sum of 26,000 Lübeck Marks.<ref>Elisabeth Raiser, ''Städtische Territorialpolitik im Mittelalter: eine vergleichende Untersuchung ihrer verschiedenen Formen am Beispiel Lübecks und Zürichs'', Lübeck and Hamburg: Matthiesen, 1969, (Historische Studien; 406), pp. 90seq., simultaneously: Hamburg, Univ., Diss., 1969.</ref>

In 1401, Eric III died without issue and was succeeded by his second cousin [[Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg|Eric IV of Saxe-Ratzeburg-Lauenburg]]. In the same year, Eric IV, supported by his sons [[Eric V of Saxe-Lauenburg|Eric (later ruling as Eric V)]] and [[John IV of Saxe-Lauenburg|John]], forcefully captured the pawned areas without making any repayment, before Lübeck could take possession of them. Lübeck acquiesced for the time being.<ref>Elisabeth Raiser, ''Städtische Territorialpolitik im Mittelalter: eine vergleichende Untersuchung ihrer verschiedenen Formen am Beispiel Lübecks und Zürichs'', Lübeck and Hamburg: Matthiesen, 1969, (Historische Studien; 406), p. 137, simultaneously: Hamburg, Univ., Diss., 1969.</ref>

In 1420, Eric V attacked Prince-Elector [[Frederick I, Elector of Brandenburg|Frederick I of Brandenburg]] and Lübeck allied with Hamburg in support of [[Electorate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]]. Armies of both cities opened a second front and conquered Bergedorf, Riepenburg castle and the Esslingen river toll station (today's [[Zollenspieker Ferry]]) within weeks. This forced Eric V to agree with [[List of mayors of Hamburg#1293–1860|Hamburg's burgomaster]] [[Hein Hoyer]] and [[Burgomaster#City state government|Burgomaster]] Jordan Pleskow of Lübeck to the [[Peace of Perleberg]] on 23 August 1420, which stipulated that all the pawned areas, which Eric IV, Eric V and John IV had violently taken in 1401, were to be irrevocably ceded to the cities of Hamburg and Lübeck.

===Hamburg-Lübeck Condominium===
The cities transformed the acquired areas into the "Beiderstädtischer Besitz" (bi-urban [[Condominium (international law)|condominium]]; cooperatively governed possession), ruled by bailiffs in four year terms, alternately staffed by one of the cities. In 1446 the bailiffs' terms were increased to six years, and in 1620 to life terms. In 1542 bailiff Ditmar Koel introduced the [[Protestant Reformation]] in the co-governed municipalities. The area was formally annexed to the [[First French Empire]] as part of [[Bouches de l'Elbe]] département between 1811 and 1813. Thereafter, the area was restored to Hamburg and Lübeck, both sovereign states. The first railway in [[Northern Germany]] was opened between Hamburg and Bergedorf by the [[Hamburg-Bergedorf Railway Company]] in 1842. In the 1860s the Condominium issued [[Postage stamps and postal history of Bergedorf|its own postage stamps]]. In 1863 the condominium measured 1039,99 million square Hamburg foot (1 Hamburg foot =286,57&nbsp;mm), of which 947,34 million sqft were [[Bergedorf (quarter)|Bergedorf city]] and the four [[Vierlande]] municipalities ([[Altengamme]], [[Curslack]], [[Kirchwerder]] and [[Neuengamme, Hamburg|Neuengamme]]) and 92,65 million sqft of [[Geesthacht]] (since 1937 no part of today's borough of Bergdorf anymore).<ref name="Statistik Hamburg 1866 p1">''Statistik des Hamburgischen(Bro) Staats'', Statistisches Bureau der Deputation für directe Steuern (ed.), 'Heft&nbsp;I. Ergebnisse der Volkszählung vom 3<sup>ten</sup> December 1866 - Stand der Bevölkerung', Hamburg: Kümpel, 1867, [https://opacplus.bsb-muenchen.de/Vta2/bsb10003383/bsb:12461094?page=19 p.&nbsp;1].</ref>

===Hamburg rural seigniory===
Effective of 1 January 1868 Lübeck sold its share in the bi-urban condominium to the [[Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg]] for 200,000 [[Prussian thaler]]. Hamburg integrated the area into its state territory, forming there the ''Landherrenschaft Bergedorf'' (i.e. Bergedorf rural [[seigniory]]) comprising the cities of Bergedorf and [[Geesthacht]] and a number of rural municipalities not integrated into the city of Hamburg proper. By the [[Greater Hamburg Act]] of 1937 the [[exclave]] of Geesthacht was ceded to [[Province of Schleswig-Holstein|Schleswig-Holstein]].

===Bergedorf Borough of Hamburg===
On 1 April 1938 Bergedorf city and the other municipalities became the ''Borough of Bergedorf'', an integrated part of the city of Hamburg. Bergedorf is also known by its nickname ''Garden of Hamburg''.

==Geography==
Located in the south-east of the city, the borough of Bergedorf comprises the districts of [[Allermöhe]], [[Altengamme]], [[Bergedorf (quarter)|Bergedorf]], [[Billwerder]], [[Curslack]], [[Kirchwerder]], [[Lohbrügge]], [[Moorfleet]], [[Neuallermöhe]] (new district since January 2011), [[Neuengamme, Hamburg|Neuengamme]], [[Ochsenwerder]], [[Reitbrook]], [[Spadenland]] and [[Tatenberg]].

In 2017 the city of Hamburg started planning the new quarter [[Oberbillwerder]] which is located in today's [[Billwerder]].

In 2006, according to the statistical office of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, the borough of Bergedorf has a total area of {{convert|154.8|km²|0}}.

Today's quarter is the old citBergedorf, located on the river [[Bille (Elbe)|Bille]], a right tributary of the [[Elbe]].

==Demographics==
In 2006, 118,942 people were living in Bergedorf borough. The population density was {{convert|769|PD/km²|0}}. 19.3% were children under the age of 18, and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. 9.6% were immigrants. 6,027 people were registered as unemployed.<ref name="statsB 2006">Residents registration office, source: statistical office Nord of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein (2006)</ref> In 1999 there were 51,752 households and 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals.<ref name="stats 1999">Source: statistical office Nord of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein (1999)</ref>

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt), there were 48,003 private cars registered (406 cars/1000 people) in the borough of Bergedorf.<ref name="stats 2006">Source: statistical office Nord of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein (2006)</ref>

There were 22 elementary schools, 16 secondary schools, 184 physicians in private practice, and 23 pharmacies in the borough of Bergedorf.<ref name="stats 2006"/> These numbers include the Bergedorf quarter.

== Assembly of the borough ==
[[File:Hamburg Bergedorf Subdivisions.svg|thumb|300px|Subdivisions of Bergedorf]]
The ''Bezirksversammlung'' is elected as representatives of the citizens, simultaneously with elections to the [[European Parliament]]. It consists of 45 representatives.

{{See also|Boroughs_and_quarters_of_Hamburg#Boroughs|l1=Boroughs of Hamburg}}

===Elections===

{{Election table|title=District parliament election of Bergedorf in 2024}}
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | Parties
! %
! ±
! Seats
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}" |
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]
| 28.6
|{{increase}} 4.3
| style="text-align:center;" | 13
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}" |
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]
| 26.6
| {{increase}} 0.2
| style="text-align:center;" | 12
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}" |
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Alliance '90/The Greens|Alliance 90/The Greens]]
| 14.6
| {{decrease}} 7.3
| style="text-align:center;" | 7
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Alternative for Germany}}" |
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Alternative for Germany]]
| 14.4
| {{increase}} 5.9
| style="text-align:center;" | 7
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|The Left (Germany)}}" |
| style="text-align:left;" | [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]
| 8.2
| {{decrease}} 2.3
| style="text-align:center;" | 4
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}" |
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]
| 4.7
| {{decrease}} 0.8
| style="text-align:center;" | 2
|-
| style="background-color:#0085FF" |
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Free Voters]]
| 2.9
| ± 0.0
| style="text-align:center;" | 0
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | Total
! style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| 
! style="text-align:center;" | 45
|}

== Postage stamps ==
[[Image:BergedorfStPeterUndPauli01.jpg|thumb|Church "St. Peter and Pauli"]]
{{main|Postage stamps and postal history of Bergedorf}}
The Bi-Urban Condominium ([[#Hamburg-Lübeck Condominium|see above]]), or Bergedorf, respectively, its capital and the seat of its postal service ''Beiderstädtische Post'' (Bi-Urban Mail), founded on 1&nbsp;April 1847, is of note to [[philatelist]]s because it issued its own [[postage stamp]]s between 1861 and 1867. According to the census of March 1863 the Bi-Urban Condominium had a population of 12,468 souls, of which 2,957 lived in [[Bergedorf (quarter)|Bergedorf city]] (the rest lived in the other five municipalities of the condominium),<ref name="Statistik Hamburg 1866 p1" /> making it by far the German territory with the smallest population to issue stamps.

The issue included 5&nbsp;square stamps with denominations from ½ to 4&nbsp;schillings. All used the same design - a combined [[coat of arms]] of the [[Free City of Lübeck|Free Cities of Lübeck]] and [[Hamburg]] (the two city states which were the sovereign lords over the Bi-Urban Condominium) - but the higher values were larger stamps. All values were printed in black on different coloured papers, except for the 3s stamp, which was printed in blue on pink paper. With Lübeck's sale of its share in the condominium to Hamburg in 1867 the territory was integrated into the adjacent city state of Hamburg as the ''Rural Seigniory of Bergedorf'' and the separate Bi-Urban Mail became part of Hamburg's postal service without any more separate stamps. Hamburg, including its Rural Seigniory of Bergedorf began using stamps of the [[North German Confederation]] in 1868.

Since the Bi-Urban Condominium had such a small population, relatively few of these stamps were made, and even fewer used; the price of unused stamps is from US$30&ndash;$50, while genuinely used stamps go for US$300&ndash;$2,000. Reprints, forgeries, and especially faked [[Cancellation (mail)|cancellation]]s are quite common.

== Notable structures ==
[[Image:RK 0604 02301 Schloss Bergedorf.jpg|thumb|Schloss Bergedorf now houses a history museum.]]
[[File:Stolpersteine Bergedorf Dr Naftali Lewensohnx600.jpg|thumb|[[Stolperstein]] for Dr. Naftali Lewensohn, Sachsentor 38]]

* Church "St. Petri and Pauli"
*[[Fernmeldeturm Hamburg-Bergedorf]]
*[[Transmitter Hamburg-Billstedt]]
*[[Hamburger Sternwarte]] also called [[Hamburg-Bergedorf Observatory]]
*[[Schloss Bergedorf]]

==Notable people==
*[[Ida Boy-Ed]] (1852–1928), writer
*[[Johann Adolph Hasse]], (1699–1783), composer
*[[Alfred Lichtwark]] (1852–1914), director of the ''Hamburger Kunsthalle''
*[[Ferdinand Pfohl]] (1862–1949), music critic, music writer and composer
*[[Jack Pferdeschwanz]] (1996), entertainer, curling player
*[[Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff Sr]] (1914-1997), person with the longest name in history

==See also==
*[[Hamburg-Bergedorf station]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
;General sources
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080617222809/http://www.statistik-nord.de/fileadmin/regional/regional.php Statistisches Amt für Hamburg und Schleswig-Holstein, official website] (in German)

== Bibliography ==
* Harald Richert: ''Bergedorf - eine selbständige Stadt''. In: ''[[Lichtwark-Heft|Lichtwark]]'' Nr. 54. Hrsg. Lichtwark-Ausschuß, Bergedorf, 1991. Jetzt: Verlag HB-Werbung, Hamburg-Bergedorf. {{ISSN|1862-3549}}.

==External links==
{{commons}}
{{Americana Poster|year=1920}}
* [http://www.bergedorf.de/ Bergedorf homepage (in German)]
* [http://www.bergedorf-round-table.org Bergedorf Round Table of the Koerber Foundation]
* [http://www.bergedorf-city.de/ privat Bergedorf Citypage (in German)]

{{Boroughs of Hamburg}}
{{Hamburg}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bergedorf| ]]
[[Category:Boroughs of Hamburg]]