The American Lancer at the port of Hamburg, 1968. Image courtesy of HHLA
Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has celebrated its fiftieth year of container shipping at the port of Hamburg — marking the anniversary of the first fully containerized ship handled at the port.
On May 31, 1968 the American Lancer, a containership hailing from the US, called at the Burchardkai terminal at the port.
The 'American Lancer' calling at the Burchardkai terminal in 1968. Image courtesy of HHLA.
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Chairwoman of the Executive Board of Hamburger Hafen und Logistic AG (HHLA), Angela Titzrath, commented:
“The arrival of the first fully containerized ship 50 years ago opened an important chapter at the Port of Hamburg.
“Thanks to the foresight of the then Senator for Economic Affairs, Helmuth Kern, the requirements were met in time to ensure Hamburg could profit from the container technology revolutionizing the logistics sector.
“As a service provider for the industrial nation of Germany, the Port of Hamburg has made a decisive contribution to growth and prosperity.
“Over 150,000 jobs in the region depend on the port and a quarter of all German foreign trade is today processed at the terminals’ facilities.”
“As a gateway to the future, we always want to offer our customers the best solutions for transporting their cargo securely, quickly and efficiently.
“Fifty years ago, this aim became the benchmark for pioneering decision-making – something we still greatly value today and will continue to value as we trade in the future.”
The modern day Burchardkai terminal handling a megaship. Image courtesy of HHLA
Titzrath also announced that HHLA will be investing approximately $1 billion into developing terminal facilities and intermodal activities over the next five years to further drive innovation at the port and strength the port of Hamburg’s competitiveness.
