6 - Hamburg Coffee Importers

Summary

The Verein der am Caffeehandel betheiligten Firmen, an association that grew to include all of Hamburg-based coffee traders, was established in May 1886. By 1939, the association was completely subjugated to the will of the Nazi regime, and it collapsed within the first few weeks of World War II. In the postwar period, the coffee traders of Hamburg were largely regulated by the Allied occupying forces, and this often led to undesirable circumstances, including internal competition. This chapter looks at the evolution of Hamburg coffee traders and how they functioned in the global market from the nineteenth through the late twentieth centuries. It considers the history of the Hamburg coffee traders, from the turbulent life span of the association to the challenging relationship between the Hamburg coffee traders and the Allied forces in West Germany and the global coffee moguls of the 1980s. The chapter analyzes the factors that contributed to the association’s downfall, including shifting worldviews, international market upheavals, and strong state intervention. Primary sources consulted include meeting minutes, news articles, legal documents, annual reports, and commission transactions.