In 1960 the group The Beatles arrived in the German port city of Hamburg. We present a chronicle for the Red Light District of that city.
Every maritime port that is respected has or had its neighborhood for the pagan enjoyment of the sailors who called at its docks: The red zone of Amsterdam; Monterrey in Buenaventura, and La Pilota in Tumaco. Therefore, Hamburg could not be the exception: St. Pauli, and we visited it on Saturday May 1, 2021. St. Pauli has a reputation and tradition of being a center of fun and entertainment and this fame derives from its proximity to the port and the sailors. In fact, the famous Red Light District of Hamburg works here. It also has many bars and clubs, and The Beatles themselves lived here before they became famous. There is everything and of course there are also many sex shops and strip clubs. Prostitutes can be seen on the street, as prostitution is allowed at certain times of the day and there are certain places similar to the Red Light District in Amsterdam with women in showcases. Over the years, the neighborhood has been changing, opening and closing brothels and theaters, geared more to the movement of young people and nights out, rather than exclusively prostitution.
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The world-wide fame of The Beatles took off in Hamburg in 1960, where the Liverpool band suffered hardships, but found their identity. On August 17, 1960, five unknown Liverpool musicians took to the stage at the notorious Indra club in Hamburg, next to the city’s Reeperbahn and then used the stage name “Silver Beatles.” There were very few gigs for them in their hometown Liverpool in England, so the contract to play a club in the German port city was more than timely. After their performance at the Indra nightclub, the musicians performed at other venues in Hamburg, including the Kaiserkeller, the Top Ten and the Star Club. This was where The Beatles celebrated their first hits and removed the word “Silver” from the band’s name. His signature haircuts also became fashionable in Hamburg.
The band wandered through non-luxurious accommodations on the Reeperbahn. They had debts in bars; the police arrested them for causing altercations in public. Fame and wealth were still a long way off, according to Paul McCartney: “We lived behind the scenes at the Bambi cinema, right next to the toilets. They each earned 30 Deutsche Marks a night, for a seven-hour session that would last until the wee hours of the morning; on the weekend they played an extra hour. They lived on meatballs, beer, and amphetamines. His repertoire grew with each session. It was a moment that brought the band together and that allowed the legendary sound of The Beatles to develop. They did it so well that Horst Fascher, owner of the Star Club and a local celebrity, noticed them. He hired The Beatles for his club, where he said: “They learned by watching the theatrical shows of other stars.” They last played the Star Club on New Year’s Eve 1962. The Beatles had become musicians awaiting world fame, in a career that began in Hamburg. Today I had the privilege of seeing its monument, and passing quickly without looking at the windows through St. Pauli, because I was walking with my wife and my son …
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