Old Elbe Tunnel

A sensation

The tunnel opened in 1911 as a technical sensation

The Old Elbe Tunnel opened on 7 September 1911. It is 426 metres long, and two 6-metre tubes lie 24 metres beneath the surface. They connect central Hamburg with the docks and shipyards on the south side of the Elbe, a big improvement for tens of thousands of workers.

426 mthe length of the tunnel, 24 metres below the surface

Lifts

Six large lifts on each side take cars and walkers down

Six large lifts on either side carry pedestrians and vehicles to the bottom. Both tubes are still in operation, but because of their limited capacity by today's standards other bridges and tunnels have taken over most of the traffic. The tunnel is open 24 hours for pedestrians and bicycles.

Fish and rats

The tiled walls show fish, crabs and also litter and rats

The tunnel walls are decorated with glazed terra cotta ornaments displaying items related to the Elbe river. Most show fish or crabs, but a few show different items like litter and rats.

A symphony

In 2019 144 musicians played inside the tubes

For the reopening of the east tube, on May 22 and 23, 2019, four concerts called Symphony in the St. Pauli Elbtunnel were held. The pieces were composed for the space, and 144 musicians were distributed in the two tubes. The audience walked through the tube.

The workers

Working under pressure harmed hundreds of workers, and three died

Work was done under pressure because the tunnel is below the water table of the Elbe. Despite precautions, hundreds of workers had health problems associated with decompression sickness, 74 of them with lasting consequences, and three of them died. Thousands of workers were employed in all.