When I was in Hamburg during my stopover before moving east to Poland, I had my first encounter with the world-renowned “migrant horde.” It was October of 2015, and I had been to Hamburg Central Station a few weeks earlier and had not noticed anything odd.
This time, there were many large groups of migrant refugees gathered in many places. Volunteers had set up makeshift first-aid and food stations with cardboard signs, while aid workers passed out blankets and clothing.
A Changed Hamburg Central Station
People were setting up camp in and around the huge train station.
On the way to my hotel, I got turned around, so I walked to a Hilton hotel to ask for directions. At the counter, the receptionists all had buttons on. I asked what the buttons said and was told they read, “Germany welcomes the families of all refugees.”
I doubted that any of the refugees saw the buttons worn by the Hilton staff members in the posh hotel, but it was a thoughtful gesture.
Photographing What I Saw
The pictures below were a few I was able to take. There were volunteers and security personnel disallowing any photography, so my images had to be taken somewhat secretly.
“Croatia Closed – No Trains!”
After my trip to Poland and Budapest, I tried to go to Sarajevo but was told, “Croatia closed – no trains!”
It was a bit unsettling to be stuck in a country with no certain way out. It was obvious that masses of people had been there, as could be surmised from the debris, security, and handwritten signage informing people not to enter certain areas.
Instead of traveling south, I was able to get a train in the opposite direction to Austria.
Entering Austria
As I entered Austria, initially the first country to close its borders due to the migrant crisis, I noticed the remarkable difference in response tactics.
There were dozens of soldiers and police officers. No one without a ticket was allowed into the train station, and huge areas were cordoned off with fences or barricades.
Every person, including me, was photographed by police with a camera attached to a gigantic lens mounted on a pole.
I was unable to take any pictures of the rounded-up migrants who were made to sit in a sectioned-off area in the middle of the station. The migrants were eventually marched onto buses and driven off.
Here are a few photos I snuck…
Passport Checks on the Train
During my travels, I have seen immigration officers conduct passport checks on trains.
As I entered the country of Monaco, many officers swarmed the train. They pointed to anyone who looked like they might be a refugee and asked for passports.
I started to reach for mine, and they shook their heads no and quickly moved to others around me.
I witnessed three migrants pulled from the train and placed into disposable flexi-cuffs and made to sit on the ground as the train moved away from the station.
The captives would be dealt with, and the officials would no doubt repeat their tactics once the next train rolled in.
Where I Stayed
Hotel Kieler Hof
In Hamburg, I stayed at the Hotel Kieler Hof, a modest hotel in the St. Georg district located just a couple of minutes from Hamburg Central Station. For a traveler constantly moving through Europe by train, the location was hard to beat. I could walk out of the hotel and be at the main railway station and bus terminal almost immediately.
Hamburg’s main shopping street, Mönckebergstraße, was only about a five-minute walk away, while the central railway station provided easy connections throughout the city and beyond. I could spend my time exploring Hamburg rather than worrying about transportation.
With Hamburg Central Station practically outside my door, the Hotel Kieler Hof served as a useful home base while I explored more of this fascinating German city. Sometimes the best hotel for a traveler isn’t the fanciest one; it’s the one that puts you exactly where you need to be.