Hamburg Airport, Germany 1963

A 1960s colour photo of the apron and terminal buildings at Hamburg Airport (Fuhlsbüttel) in 1963. The view from an aircraft shows the sprawling airport grounds including the main terminal with its distinctive control tower and open-air observation deck. On the tarmac, various ground service vehicles are active, including a yellow Shell fuel van, a classic Volkswagen Transporter, and red airport buses. The West German flag flies prominently alongside other ensigns near the brick-faced administrative buildings, capturing the orderly expansion of German civil aviation during the jet age.

Today, Hamburg Airport has undergone a complete architectural metamorphosis. The original terminal and administrative wings seen here have been replaced by the massive, modern Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 complexes, connected by the Airport Plaza. While the airport remains in the same location, the vintage ground equipment and the mid-century “tulip” street lamps have been replaced by high-efficiency LED lighting and automated baggage handling systems.

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