Luna Park Hamburg-Altona
| Company type | Amusement park |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 1913 |
| Defunct | 1923 |
| Fate | Closed and demolished |
| Headquarters | Altona, Hamburg , Germany |
Area served | Hamburg, Germany |
| Products | Amusement rides, entertainment facilities |
Luna Park Hamburg-Altona (German: Lunapark Hamburg-Altona) was an amusement park located in Altona, Hamburg, Germany. Established in 1913 as the country’s largest amusement facility, it ceased operations shortly after the onset of the First World War in 1914 and had a brief revival in 1923.
Park
Situated on more than [1] within Altona, which was then an independent municipality, Luna Park was conveniently positioned near major transit points such as Kaltenkirchen station, Emilienstraße, and Holsten. Inspired by the original Luna Park in Coney Island, it launched as Germany’s largest amusement park.[2]
The park featured a variety of attractions including a 'scenic railway' roller coaster with mountainous landscaping, a cycling velodrome, a swimming facility, a ballroom, and an exhibition hall. Visitors could also enjoy gardens, fountains, and several refreshment kiosks.[1][2]
Architecturally, the buildings combined half-timbered concrete over staff construction with vivid coloration. The main entrance showcased a bright red facade topped with a tiled roof. The dance hall was designed to resemble a North German farmhouse with ornamental walls and a thatched roof, while other structures were capped with red Dutch tile roofing.[1]
History
The Lunapark-Gesellschaft company was established in November 1912 under Hugo Smidt and obtained a 15-year lease for two adjacent plots that included the Diebsteich flood basin. Initial architectural concepts by Ernst Schmidt & Liedtke drew on Baroque influences but were later simplified by Danish architects Juul Brask and Elnar Rosenstand due to delays in construction and financial constraints.[1]
The park officially opened on 28 August 1913 but closed in August 1914 as a consequence of World War I; by 1921 most of its rides and facilities had been dismantled.[1][2]
In early 1923, amusement operator Hugo Haase revived Luna Park using equipment from his defunct Stellingen park. Nevertheless, economic difficulties during the Weimar Republic period, including rampant inflation, forced its closure again by August that year, followed by demolition.[1][2]
During the late 1920s, the area was redeveloped primarily into sports fields. On the former entrance site, a concrete unemployment office designed by Gustav Oelsner was constructed in 1926 and remains an architectural landmark. Additionally, part of the grounds is occupied by a residential building on Memelandallee also designed by Oelsner. Presently, only a street and a children’s playground named Lunapark commemorate the park’s former location.[1][2]
Further reading
- Claudia Puttkammer and Sacha Szabo. Gruß aus dem Luna-Park. Eine Archäologie des Vergnügens. Freizeit- und Vergnügungsparks Anfang des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts. Berlin: WVB, 2007. . .
- Sacha Szabo. Lunaparks. Auf den Spuren einer vergessenen Vergnügungskultur. Marburg: Büchner, 2017. . .
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Harald Beckedorf, "Geh'n wir in den Luna-Park-Altona", (in German), retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Olaf Wunder and Gunnar Reuchsel, "Mit Achterbahn und Wellenbad Hamburgs untergegangener Freizeit-Park", Hamburger Morgenpost, 9 November 2017, (in German).