Stylish, top -class: foray through Hamburg's noble clubs

Secrecy, old traditions? Far from it: the elegant retreats are up to date.

Hamburg. For some, it is a retreat for inner contemplation or cultivated conversation at a befitting level - in an elegant, stylish setting. Others value top-class contacts, which, in addition to inspiration, can certainly bring business benefits. However, if you please, in a subtle Hanseatic way, with an occasional touch of Anglophile. In addition, it increases the value of staying in an excellent place whose door is closed to most people.

It is not uncommon for there to be a combination of all of the above. The clumsy, commercial exchange of business cards is frowned upon, as is blatant self-importance. Dress codes have relaxed significantly.

Welcome to the club! And not in any. We decided on the five best and most distinguished addresses in the Hanseatic city and made home visits. No more secrecy behind the scenes: Appointments were wonderfully uncomplicated. In all cases, the chairpersons or presidents of these institutions insisted on personally granting insight and providing information. One of the open cards was the unsurprising realization: Corona was bitter for everyone.

All clubs enjoy a formidable reputation

In alphabetical order, we visited the Anglo-German Club on the Outer Alster, the Business Club Hamburg on the Ottenser part of the Elbchaussee, the Hafen-Klub on the Landungsbrücken, the Hanse Lounge on the Alsterfleet and the Übersee-Club on the Binnenalster. Each association is unique in itself - with a different target group, orientation, down-to-earthness, etiquette.

Rituals are a thing of the past here and there. But despite modern manners and regulations, the male world still sets the tone in the quintet of these clubs. Exceptions prove the rule.

One enjoys a formidable reputation like the other. The Übersee-Club is the oldest and has the most members. An emphasis is on lectures. The Anglo-German Club is considered the most Anglophile, also because it was based on the British model. You also reside in your own villa. The Hafen-Klub impresses with a maritime character through and through. It is only a few steps from the Hanse Lounge to the town hall and the Chamber of Commerce. Just like the Business Club Hamburg, fantastically located on the banks of the Elbe, it is a business-oriented company. Below the line should be a plus sign. Accordingly, the Elbchaussee is a highly professional contact and information exchange. Service is a top priority.

Let's enter the world of these exclusive clubs. Although the once discreetly mysterious nimbus has given way to transparency in modern times, the principle remains the same: each of these clubs is something special. To put it in a noble Hanseatic way: certainly not every city can boast something of the same quality.

PORT CLUB HAMBURG

The special touch

It's never more maritime. In good Hamburg dialect: If you are economically anchored in the port, you cannot ignore this institution. Founded during the economic miracle era, the club, which was deliberately written with a "K", has developed into a stable player on the Elbe. In the truest sense of the word: The members' and guest rooms, which are spread over two floors, are located in a modern building between Landungsbrücken 4 and 5. You couldn't be any closer to the heart of the Hanseatic city.

Ambience

Five years ago, Hafen-Klub invested 2.5 million euros in the conversion and renovation of the 1,600 square meter premises. The bourgeois living room comfort of the 1960s has given way to a contemporary, maritime style. The floor is reminiscent of ship planks; the restaurant with 50 seats is bright and friendly. Five booths can be varied in size. If you want to meet or dine in peace, you will find a service bell on the table. The two bridge domes can also be used. If you take a seat on one of the terraces, you have the Elbe at your feet. The view cannot be topped. Event floor on the floor below for up to 200 guests.

Target group

Everyone who has business dealings with the port - from large companies to independent entrepreneurs. In a showcase at the entrance there are name tags of all members. Whoever stands there "belongs". Guests are only allowed access when accompanied by members.

Well-known members

Consistently everything that is valid in the world of the port and beyond. Examples are Angela Titzrath (HHLA), Thomas and Robert Eckelmann (the founder's sons), Heiko Fischer (VTG), Jens Meier (HPA), Georg Mecke (Airbus), the former Economics Senator Ian Karan. Professor Eckhard Rohkamm has served as President since 2011. The trained ship technician was formerly CEO at Blohm + Voss and a member of the board of Thyssen AG.

That's going on (events)

On average two to three times a month there are lectures on business, politics or culture on the programme. Working motto: "Around the water's edge." There will also be a reception for naval officers, a golf tournament and a presentation by the Inspector General of the German Armed Forces. On the occasion of the port birthday in May, the rooms are always fully booked. In spring and summer, club life was severely restricted due to the corona. Now one hopes to be able to return to normality.

Foundation/History

After the founding in 1965, the port entrepreneur Kurt Eckelmann and his fellow campaigners succeeded in maintaining the club life in their own building. The property at the Landungsbrücken, previously a parking lot, is leased on a long-term basis, and the new house is self-financed. Offices are rented in the building, and there is a bakery on the ground floor.

How to get in

The nine-strong executive committee decides on new members: "You know each other..." No guarantors are needed.

Costs

Companies pay an admission fee of EUR 2,000 plus an annual fee of EUR 750. Up to three people can be named as club members. The junior group initiated by Patrick Eckelmann, the grandson of the founder, works according to the principle: a maximum of 40 members up to the age of 40. Annual fee: 175 euros.

Number of members

450 companies with 890 people.

Women and quota

Since it was founded 55 years ago, women have been able to be admitted. Currently 90 percent of the members are male.

Gastronomy

The restaurant, run by Alexander Monesi and Vanessa Wilson, is open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. and Saturdays from 5 p.m. At the weekend, the harbor club can also be booked by groups. Main courses usually cost between 20 and 30 euros.

Rules of the game and address

If possible, shirt and jacket. Ties are encouraged at club events. Otherwise, the following applies: Everyone according to their style. Commercial exchange of business cards is frowned upon.

HANSE LOUNGE

The special touch

Second youngest in the quintet of Hamburg's posh clubs - with an excellent location above the Alster Arcades. Only members and their guests have access. From the second floor of the historic Fahning House, which is more than 150 years old, members and guests have a direct view of the Rathausmarkt and the Rathaus. Entrances and elevators from the arcade side and Neuer Wall 19. The covered terrace on the Alsterfleet covers 80 square meters. During the severe Corona times in spring, the club restaurant, library and bar were completely renovated. The contact to the members with Monday mails, digital club discussions as well as "asparagus and BBQ drive-ins" remained alive. Reopening was on June 8th.

Ambiance

Elegant, Anglophile, yet casual. Bright, friendly designed rooms. Discretion is very important - for example in the separate Bismarck room. The two lounges and three conference rooms have their own entrance. Those who want peace and quiet can take a seat in the wood-panelled library (with a fireplace).

Target group

Entrepreneurs from professional groups typical of Hamburg. Deliberately broad spectrum: self-employed and representatives of well-known companies. You know each other. Members are usually greeted by name in the club restaurant.

Well-known members

The Advisory Board has a total of 16 personalities. Examples are the jeweler Kim-Eva Wempe, coffee merchant Albert Darboven, shipowner Nikolaus H. Schües, architect Hadi Teherani, businessman John Jahr and Ingo C. Peters, director of the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten.

That's what's going on

About every six weeks, club talks or dinner events are on the agenda. The interlocutors were personalities such as EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger, Petra Scharner-Wolff (Otto Group Board Member), Douglas Chief Manager Tina Müller, Mayor Peter Tschentscher, Bernhard Prince of Baden and board members of top national companies. This year it's about the US election and its consequences for Germany and Europe. A traditional part of club life is a tournament at the Falkenstein Golf Club.

Foundation/history

The lounge has existed since May 2003. The managing partner is the Austrian Michael Kutej, a friend of fine wines. The management team also includes marketing director Tatiana von Keller, club manager Bettina Storey and Jörn Wrede as head chef. There are a total of 30 employees in the team, including trainees.

How to get in

Since 2008 there has been a waiting list for new members. Average duration of admission is one year. Two godparents are required, each of whom must have been with the lounge for more than twelve months. A “significant letter of recommendation” is required.

Costs

1600 euros admission fee. Annual fee: 920 euros.

Members

980. Limited. The average age is 56 years.

Women and quota

There is no difference between the sexes when it comes to admission. Nevertheless, men have the clear majority at around 85 percent.

Gastronomy

The club restaurant is known for creative, modern European cuisine and attentive, not excessive service - from midday until late in the evening. A three-course business lunch that changes weekly is offered for 32 euros. Fixed items on the menu include dishes such as tuna and salmon sashimi (22 euros), Wiener schnitzel (25 euros) and Zurich veal fillet slices (26 euros).

Rules of the game and address

Suits or jackets are welcome. No tie compulsory. Value is placed on punctuality and a reliable style. The compulsive exchange of business cards or the use of the member list for business contacts are frowned upon.

Hanse Lounge, Neuer Wall 19, 20354 Hamburg, www.hanse-lounge.de

THE OVERSEAS CLUB

The special touch

You first have to earn an excellent reputation worldwide. As a forum for discussion between business, politics, science and art, the Übersee-Club sets the course for high-quality thoughts and conversations. Bridges are to be built overseas. The guest speakers traditionally include statesmen, captains of industry and outstanding thinkers. Examples of the past decades are Charles de Gaulle, Yasser Arafat, John Maynard Keynes, as well as all German Federal Presidents and Chancellors.

Ambience

Since 1969, the club has been based in the "Amsinck-Haus" on the banks of the Binnenalster - from the water on the starboard side of the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten. The listed Palais, built in 1831, is rented on a long-term basis by Axa Insurance. The client was the merchant and senator Gottlieb Jenisch. The tastefully furnished hall with bar on the ground floor and the restaurant rooms on the upper floor cover a good 1000 square meters. Style: friendly, bright, dignified, by no means pompous.

Target group

Anyone who is anchored in the economy, politics and society of the Hanseatic city can be seen as a member everywhere. Also in the 111 partner clubs in Germany and all over the world.

Well-known members

So uncomplicated and keen to provide information President Michael Behrendt (formerly head of Hapag-Lloyd) and Managing Director Dr. Tomas Klischan (former general manager of the employers' association Nordmetall) are too: Names of prominent members are taboo. Underhand it says discreetly: “Who doesn't?” By the way, there were several honorary presidents, but only one honorary member: Helmut Schmidt. He had a home game in “his” club.

That's what's going on

More than 40 presentations by top-class speakers with discussions each year have always been the foundation of club life. In principle, fees are not paid. Overseas Day, which has been celebrated on port birthdays since 1950, has an international reputation. Every year, at the invitation of the club, there is a festive dinner in the Hotel Atlantic with a prominent guest of honour, and every two years there is a reception in the town hall in the morning – with the Hanseatic city as the host. Lectures were offered online during the Corona period - with an amazing response.

Foundation/History

In 1922, four years after the end of the First World War, banker Max M. Warburg and friends of his Hanseatic merchants initiated the founding of the club. After the failure of the Weimar Republic and the beginning of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933, the club dissolved itself. On June 18, 1948, the new foundation took place.

How to get in

Membership can be applied for by individuals and companies. Two guarantees from members with justification are absolutely necessary. "Established professions" and social skills in the form of social commitments are desirable.

Costs

Admission fee: 700 euros. Annual fee for individuals 350 euros, for companies between 700 and 1000 euros.

Number of members

1900 individuals and 160 companies. A maximum of 25 new members may be admitted per year. As a rule, these should not be older than 55 years.

Women and quota

Since the restart in 1948, female members have been accepted without any problems. There are currently around 300 women in the club.

Gastronomy

The Hotel Atlantic has been a gastronomy partner for almost seven decades. All meals are freshly prepared in the kitchen on the second floor. The restaurant is open to members and their guests on weekdays between 12pm and 3pm. The menu features fish and meat dishes with a seasonal twist. Main courses cost between 20 and 30 euros. Otherwise, the ballroom with 70 seats, three Alster rooms, two salons and the historic Jenisch room can be rented for private and company celebrations. When the wing doors are open, there is something like a castle character - with a Hanseatic touch. The Amsinck House has been open again since October 5th, after the Corona break. Current lecture events are announced on the homepage.

Rules of the game and address

"Our club was not made to initiate business", President Michael Behrendt sums up the principle. Appropriate attire is desired. At lunchtime ties are not a must, in the evening they are. Jacket and shirt yes please, jeans and sports shoes no thanks. Because of a previously unknown bet between Berlin and Hamburg, however, a guest wearing jeans, a sports jacket and sneakers was also admitted. His demeanor was correct.

The Übersee-Club, Neuer Jungfernstieg 19, 20354 Hamburg, www.ueberseeclub.de

BUSINESS CLUB HAMBURG

The special touch

When it comes to professional services for its member companies, the youngest of the five fine Hamburg clubs is in an excellent position: Service is a top priority. Here you don't sit in the salon with tea and read the newspaper, but usually meet at events. The Wirtschaftsclub is not an association, but a GmbH itself, which is now in the black. And this calculation only works if the price-performance ratio is right. This includes a more than 80-page magazine that is published quarterly with a circulation of 11,000.

Ambience

The villa built in 1913 in Heine Park in Ottensen, the "White House on the banks of the Elbe", is an architectural gem. The Maritime School used to be housed there. The house can be reached directly from the underground car park. The guest walks through the wooden portal through an imposing staircase. The modern club room, a bar, the smoking lounge and a terrace are located on the ground floor. Ten conference rooms are available to member companies in the villa.

Target group

The club is a meeting place for companies from all sectors and sizes - from sole traders to international corporations. If you want to maintain your clientele and expand your network, are looking for new contacts or regularly need conference rooms, you've come to the right place. The membership structure is mixed. Virtually all professional groups are represented.

Reputable Members

Each of the member companies may nominate up to three representatives. These include companies such as the Block House Group, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Holsten-Carlsberg, Montblanc and Moët Hennessy, but also HSV and FC St. Pauli.

That's what's going on

There are around 100 events on the program each year. Motto: information, inspiration, networking. There are lecture and discussion evenings with well-known discussion partners such as Michael Otto, company visits, golf tournaments. Members and their guests have access. The social highlight once a quarter is the "Diplomatic Dinner". The next guest of honor is Sweden's ambassador in Berlin. The members are committed to the aid organization “brotZeit e. V.”, which takes care of healthy, sensible nutrition at Hamburg schools.

After the Corona break and reopening in May, club life is taking place again. In the further course of this year, "hybrid events" are on the program: with people on site - and members who are connected from the office or the home office. "In every crisis there is also an opportunity for something new," says Managing Director Peter Richard Stoffel.

Foundation/History

The company was founded on August 1, 2008. At the end of 2009, the villa on Elbchaussee was occupied. The house is rented long-term. The Hamburg industrial engineer Peter Stoffel has been managing the club since 2011. Previously, he worked as CEO of industrial companies in Germany and abroad. 37 employees work in the club and gastronomy.

How to get in

As long as the rules of the game are observed, companies and the self-employed can easily become members. There are 21 partner clubs around the world.

Costs

Companies pay 200 euros per month, individuals from 100 euros per month. Admission fee: an annual fee.

Number of members

Around 800 members (90 percent companies, ten percent individuals).

Women and quota

Currently 81 percent of the members are men and 19 percent are women.

Gastronomy

Head chef Nils-Kim Porru works hand in hand with seven employees and four trainees to organize breakfast, dinner and supper from 8.30 a.m. to 10 p.m. A business menu for 19 euros as well as dishes from Asia and northern Germany are offered. The brunch on Sunday (34.80 euros) is considered an insider tip. The club rooms are booked around 50 times a year for private family celebrations at the weekend.

Rules of the game and address

"There are no fixed requirements, but the general rules of courtesy and respect," says club boss Peter Stoffel. There have never been any problems with etiquette. His motto: "It's all about attitude, not clothing."

Business Club Hamburg, Elbchaussee 43, 22765 Hamburg, www.bch.de

ANGLO-GERMAN CLUB

The special touch

Perhaps the most distinguished society in the Hanseatic city is no longer quite so reserved, but discreet as ever. As a member of the Anglo-German Club you have made it – at least socially. Nowhere else is the Anglophile touch of the Hamburg soul so fervently cultivated as in the 160-year-old villa on the banks of the Alster. As an oil painting, the British Queen is a mute witness when you retire to dine, chat or contemplate - or to the bar. Even graying comrades-in-arms bear it with composure: Since 2018, women have been allowed to join the illustrious circle.

Ambience

The way into the building, designed by the architect Martin Haller in the style of Renaissance country houses in northern Italy, leads over a carpet woven in the club colors: red and navy blue, including the Hamburg coat of arms. A guest book bound in leather lies on a desk in the reception area. From here, presidents, federal chancellors and captains of industry strode into the salons, which were laid out with fine carpets, into the restaurant or into the lounges on the upper floor. Pictures, mostly with seafaring motifs, adorn the walls. Even if the club was "only" founded in 1948, it wrote the history of the city.

Target group

"People who fit in," they say. Those of rank and fame who have a soft spot for tradition, appreciate contacts and occasionally look for a retreat among their own kind will feel at home on Harvestehuder Weg. Membership is often equated with creditworthiness and influence.

Well-known members

Then as now, the names of individual members are not disclosed. Hamburg's first mayor and the British ambassador in Berlin have always acted as honorary presidents. The members of the Management Board are known to the public. The banker and former British Honorary Consul Claus-G. Budelmann in office since 1997. The discreet and fun-loving banker knows everything, but never chats. Six soul mates sit at his side: Gunnar Heinemann, John Jahr, Hans-Wilhelm Jenckel, Clive J. Kennedy, Gunter Mengers and Thomas Seiffert.

That's what's going on

For the Queen's birthday in June, a summer party will be celebrated in the garden of the 3,600 square meter property on Harvestehuder Weg. The anthem "God Save the Queen" is one of them. Of course. The festival was canceled this year. In good times and on average once a month, a lecture evening with food and discussion is on the program. Members and their guests are welcome. The seating arrangement will be drawn. A golf tournament, a jazz brunch and dinners with artists are also offered. The speakers included statesmen such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Shimon Peres.

Foundation/History

In 1948, founder Sir John Dunlop, Royal British Consul General in Hamburg, wanted to revive the traditionally close relationships that had been destroyed during the Second World War. The club bought the villa in 1989; the heritable building right for the property runs until at least 2049. "The Brexit leaves a sad feeling," says Chairman Claus-G. Budelman. In club life, however, this is not felt.

How to get in

With a written application and three guarantors. In the past two decades, there have only been four requests that have been denied.

Costs

Admission fee: 1500 euros (companies 2500 euros). Annual fee for individual members 460 euros, for companies 770 to 1380 euros (depending on the number of persons named).

Number of members

615 individuals plus around 120 companies, each of which may nominate up to three representatives. Total membership: 1180, including 26 British. Average age: 56 years. The junior group (up to 35 years) includes 77 people. There are 48 correspondence clubs worldwide.

Women and quota

21 members are female.

Gastronomy

The Pütter family has been a gastronomic partner of the club for decades. All rooms can be booked for (family) celebrations – food included. For members, the restaurant is normally open for lunch and dinner. Head chef Nils Viether and his team serve international dishes. There is a business menu and a daily changing club dish such as Königsberger Klopse for eight euros. Main courses à la carte usually cost between 20 and 30 euros. Like the clubhouse, the catering trade remained closed from March. Both have been open again since August 3rd. Wherever possible, events were held outdoors.

Rules of the game and address

A jacket, please. Ties are required in the evenings. T-shirts or sports shoes are taboo. There are ties and cufflinks with the club logo. Commercial use of member data, loud appearances, drinking bouts and "more appearances than reality" are impossible. On the other hand, British understatement and subtle humor are cultivated.

Anglo-German Club, Harvestehuder Weg 44, 20149 Hamburg, www.anglo-german-club.de