Crowds gathered Friday along the shoreline and viewing areas to watch the parade as ships sailed through the harbour, with some spraying large jets of water into the air.
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The annual event, known as “Hafengeburtstag” or Harbour Birthday, honours Hamburg’s centuries-old maritime history and its role as one of Europe’s major trading hubs.
The celebrations commemorate a charter issued in 1189 by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa granting customs-free trade rights along the Elbe River, an event regarded as the founding of Hamburg’s port.
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