THE COFFEE EXCHANGE

The Hamburg Coffee Exchange is not situated in the Exchange and Chamber buildings, but in the historic Speicherstadt, Hamburgs biggest warehouse complex. After World War II, an Exchange Hall was built by Hamburg business enterprises in the midst of the coffee warehouses. This Exchange was managed by the German Coffee Association (Deutscher Kaffee-Verband e.V.)

In 1887 the Coffee Exchange opened a futures market of international importance which, for a long time, succumbed to both World Wars and their consequences.

In 1956 the Coffee Exchange was reopened. Because, in the meantime, structures had changed in the coffee trade and the businesses of many players had moved away to other market venues, futures trading could not however be sustainably continued. While the Coffee Exchange does not exist as an institution today, the Coffee Exchange Hall with its unique atmosphere was used for events in the coffee industry. As of 2013 it will serve as a location for gastronomy and events of a new hotel at the Sandtorkai in the historical Speicherstadt.

Today the international coffee trade hedges against price fluctuations mainly on the commodity exchanges in New York and London.