History
In 1948, the member companies of the Hamburg Shipbrokers’ Association had every reason to celebrate. It was a special year for the association, as shipping, which had been completely dormant since the end of the war, was reviving. Shipbrokers in Hamburg had the opportunity to do business with foreign countries again. Gradually, more and more shipping lines moved their operations to Hamburg. The general ban on new ships of all kinds entering service was lifted in the summer of 1948. The ban on salvaging sunken ships up to 1,500 GRT was also lifted so that they could be repaired. And finally, at the end of 1948, the Potsdam Treaty allowed new ships up to 1,500 GRT to be built.
After this successful evening, everyone agreed that the dinner should become a regular event. A little earlier the following year, on 29 October 1949, another dinner was organised by managing director Bruno Jansen. This time it was held in the Ratsweinkeller, and for the first time Eisbein (pork knuckle, or alternatively smoked pork) was served with sauerkraut, pea purée, potatoes and bacon. This traditional, tasty North German dish was chosen because the lean years were now over and nouvelle cuisine was still unknown.
Traditionally, this event now takes place every year on the first Friday in November at the Congress Centrum Hamburg (CCH) and has become an international meeting platform for ship brokers, freight forwarders, shipowners, terminal operators, bankers and everyone directly or indirectly associated with the association. The meeting is attended by more than 5,000 people from around 50 different countries every year.
Since the 40th Eisbeinessen, Hamburg’s mayors and senators have regularly attended this important maritime event. High-ranking ministry officials from Berlin and members of the Bundestag are also welcomed as guests.
The ship of the first Eisbeinessen
The MS ‘ST. LOUIS’ and the history of the Eisbeinessen
The history of the Eisbeinessen began with a dinner for the managing directors and owners of the member companies of the Hamburg Shipbrokers and Ship Agents Association on board the MS ‘St. Louis’.
The MS ‘St. Louis’ was built in 1928 by Bremer Vulkan for HAPAG as a cruise ship and was used on the Hamburg-New York route. During the winter seasons, the ship served exclusively as a cruise ship.
The penultimate voyage of the MS ‘St. Louis’ took place in May 1939, carrying 937 German Jews to Cuba. Although all passengers had valid papers, they were denied entry to Havana. After lengthy negotiations, the ship continued on to the United States, but was also denied entry there. The MS St. Louis then returned to Antwerp, where an agreement was finally reached after lengthy negotiations. As a result, the Jewish emigrants were able to leave the ship and dispersed to various European countries. Unfortunately, the majority of the emigrants fell back under the control of the Nazi regime during the war. According to recent research, 254 of them were murdered in the Holocaust.
The MS St. Louis’s last voyage took it from Hamburg via New York and Murmansk to Kiel, where it served as a residential ship for the Kriegsmarine from 1940 to 1944. After heavy bombing and damage to the stern, the MS St. Louis was transferred to Hamburg in 1946 and served as a hotel ship at the Altona landing stages until 1950.
One of the few memorabilia items found in the archives of the Association of Hamburg Ship Brokers and Ship Agents dates from this period: the menu from 5 November 1948.
Meeting place for the first Eisbeinessen (Eisbeinesssen – pork knuckle dinner) on the ship St. Louis
Menu of the first Eisbeinessen on the ship St. Louis