The echoes of a unique cultural history can still be felt through the Chinese community of Hamburg, which has grown significantly in recent years. This contemporary growth is rooted in a century-old history. In the 1920s, Hamburg’s Chinatown emerged on Schmuckstraße in the St.
Pauli district, driven by Chinese sailors and traders who were attracted to the port city by economic opportunities and favorable exchange rates during Weimar Germany’s period of hyper-inflation. Chinese migration to Germany began earlier, in the 1860s, when a few Chinese, including future Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai , came to Germany to study at university. Germany’s Chinese population expanded from 43 people in 1903 to about 1,800 by 1935, with significant populations in both Hamburg and Berlin.
During the Weimar Republic (1918-1933), Germany’s cultural openness allowed the Chinese community to thrive, contributing to social and cultural life with establishments like “Cheong Shing” and the still operating “ Hong Kong Bar “. Many Chinese residing in Germany at the time were ideologically left-wing , including notable figures like the revolutionary Xie Weijin . The period of openness for the Chinese community in Germany ended with Hitler’s rise to power in 1933.
The Nazi regime began targeting political opponents, including Chinese individuals linked to communist or socialist groups. Notably, socialist activists like Chen Qiying were arrested and expelled for anti-state activities and .