Our compass. Both feet firmly on the deck, every ship in action.

We provide transport at the Port of Hamburg and on the River Elbe as part of the HVV network. With seven routes and 18 jetties, we cast off 180,000 times. 365 days a year. We cover 330,000 nautical miles – the equivalent of travelling around the world eleven times. Ice floes, fog or storms? Just you let us worry about that. We will always get you home dry and take you to your destination quickly and safely. Nothing else matters.

Icons are born of tradition

1888

Port planning

1888 was a real turning point for Hamburg: as well as becoming part of the German Empire’s customs system, the city opened the Speicherstadt and the free port. What’s more – and this is the best bit – 1888 also ushered in a “regular steam ferry connection for the Elbe free port”. That was the objective of the ferry contract signed between Hafen-Dampfschifffahrt A.-G. and the senate on 08/08/1888, and the vision of HADAG’s founder, Ernst Hadenfeldt. Up to that point, there had been countless boatmen and ferry companies operating alongside one another at the port. It was time to put an end to the chaos!

The Port of Hamburg was not just one port but many, each with a specific purpose. They included the India-Hafen and Strand-Hafen, Petroleum-Hafen and Baaken-Hafen, Oberhafen and Zollhafen. All in all, there were more than 38. Thousands of workers needed to travel each day to the shipyards, fruit warehouses and quay walls. It took a lot of people to run a world-class port: workers to clean the boilers and ships, vessel painters and machinists, dockers and winch operators. The HADAG skippers were also at the centre of the action. While rowing boats might seem like a nice idea, they’re not much fun in gale-force winds. From 1888 onwards, a single fleet put things on the right tack. The first route was the Zollkanal line, stopping at St. Pauli Landungsbrücke, Roosenbrücke (Baumwall), Kajen (Rödingsmarkt), Mattentwiete (Brooksbrücke), Steckelhörn (Zippelhaus), Wandrahmsbrücke (Meßberg), Deichtor, Stadtdeich, Brandshofer Schleuse, Elbbrücke and Veddel. By 1893, six more lines had been added. The number then grew further and today there are eight.

When the Kaiser abdicated in 1918, the city took the rudder. The senate has sat astern ever since. HADAG expanded its portfolio. The vessels that weren’t needed during the day started taking visitors on harbour tours. Soon, they started going as far as Cuxhaven, Heligoland and even the Caribbean. Admittedly, it took a while for us to venture as far as the Caribbean – and we didn’t do it with a steamer.

The 1920s

Services on the Lower Elbe to Cuxhaven and Heligoland

Let’s be honest. A boat trip is much less fun if you’ve got to rivet newly made iron or unload heavy cargo at the end of it. In the 20s, HADAG added various pleasure cruises to its port services. This meant, for instance, that people could travel to Cuxhaven for a toast on board the Jan Molsen or admire Stadersand lighthouse with the paddle steamer Cuxhaven. In 1929, HADAG took over the vessels belonging to the Hamburg Stade-Altländer Linie and several jetties from Wittenbergen to Wischhafen. More connections were added. The tourists were grateful – as were all the Hamburg residents who were then able to combine pleasure trips with long walks.

MG Amsinck (1913) – Built for 500 passengers

The big ocean-going vessels are so close to the heart of the city that the thrum and hum of the port, the breeze over the water and the big, wide world can be felt even in the furthest suburbs.

Jan Molsen (1925) – the most iconic HADAG ferry

Post-war recovery

Calming the waters

Almost all of the ferries had been sunk. The harbour basins and the Elbe were full of wrecks; the docks had been destroyed and the shipyards dismantled. World War II had blown open the gateway to the world. However, by 1 June 1945, parts of the port were able to start operating again, which was little short of a miracle. Pleasure cruises weren’t on anyone’s agenda at that point. Trips to source basic supplies – swapping a dress for a piece of ham, for example – were much more important than day hikes. In the years that followed, HADAG expanded its fleet and created its legendary class vessels. These ferries were as tough as ice-breakers but nevertheless rather elegant. Between 1952 and 1963, 40 diesel-electric and motor vessels were built according to standardised criteria at Hamburg’s shipyards. They ranged from shallow motor launches for use around the port with its low bridges to larger ships that could carry up to 607 passengers for the harbour and the Lower Elbe.

Niendorf (1959) – Classic postwar shipbuilding scheme

Today and what’s next

Our compass. All hands on deck, every ship in motion and soon powered by electricity.

It's a few nautical miles from Teufelsbrück to Trinidad. From the Lower Elbe, HADAG's cruise business took it out onto the oceans in the 1980s – and at times even onto German television. The sunsets are simply more coral-like there. In 1982, the new construction of the Astor and HADAG Cruises brought Hamburgers to the oceans. A few lines were added, but in the end we changed our minds. What counts today is how we move forward in the future – that's why we have now set our course for zero emissions.

Climate targets determine our actions like the sea weather report – the sustainable conversion of the HADAG fleet is in full swing. The Neuland, Finkenwerder and Grasbrook are among the ferries that already operate with a hybrid plug-in drive. In the near future, we will be able to charge our hybrid and soon also fully electric ferries at our operating facility using our own charging infrastructure. The lines have already been cast off with the signing of a contract for three fully electric ferries – zero emissions in the harbour.

And what else? When passenger numbers and waves rise, we naturally increase the frequency – or shorten the lay times. Or create new lines. Whatever it takes! Because that's what we have our crew for. More than 100 HADAG employees, from interns to captains, give their all to keep everything flowing smoothly in Hamburg.

2024/2025: Acquisition of three new hybrid ferries.
Own charging infrastructure for charging hybrid ferries and later fully electric ferries.
On course for zero emissions: HADAG orders fully electric ferries, which are scheduled to start operating on the Elbe as early as 2028. These will then also be charged at the company's own charging infrastructure at the HADAG operating facility.

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