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This page is still in draft phase and will be improved.

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This little gallery is intended to be a virtual stroll down Große Freiheit in Hamburg, Germany. This is truely where The Beatles were born and its importance cannot be over expressed.

While doing my research for The Savage Young Beatles, I became very interested this geographical area and its importance in Beatles history. Fueling that interest, I recentlly purchased "The Beatles With Tony Sheridan" DVD which features many photos from this area. This is where The Beatles became THE Beatles and it's an era and area most of us Beatles fans never experienced.

In addition, I never realized the close proximity of The Beatles' clubs to one another. This actually changed the mental perception of the area that I had had all these years. This was quite a revelation for me. I never realized it was ALL right there.

I began to wonder what would it have been like to stroll down this street in the early 1960s? I hoped to find some vintage photos that represent the entire street (especially the clubs at which The Beatles played) however, they were few and far between. As a result, I've had to settle primarily for contemporary era photos. But I'm reasonably satisfied with the end result.

The collage below is meant to be an overall representation of Große Freiheit and is intended to give the viewer a general impression where things are in relation to each other.

Following the collage is the stroll down the street. Imagine the story of a young Klaus Voormann coming down to the St. Pauli area and ending up on Große Freiheit. This might have been the path he took as he headed toward the clubs finally reaching The Indra where the music of the savage young Beatles drew him inside the club.

For a very interesting virtual tour of The Reeperbahn area complimented by the artwork of Klaus Voormann check - here
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If I might make a request... if any of our German Beatles fans possess photos (especially vintage photos) that could improve this page and would be willing to make a contribution, please let me know. They needn't be Beatles related (although that would be a plus).



 The Addresses

33 Paul-Roosen Straße
64 Große Freiheit
39 Große Freiheit
36 Große Freiheit
136 Reeperbahn
 The Bambi Kino
The Indra
The Star Club
The Kaiserkeller
The Top Ten Club
Strolling up Große Freiheit

Starting at The Top Ten Club on The Reeperbahn head west.
Just past the building in the left of the photo, turn right onto Große Freiheit.

Turning right, headed north off The Reeperbahn. Entering Große Freiheit.

At night, a little further down the street.

A few more steps. In this vintage photo, The Star Club comes into view just past the 'star' sign.

A similar view from a contemporary photo.

On the right side of the street, The Kaiserkeller is just out of view past the star sign.
Is this the star originally mounted outside The Star Club?
To the left side of the street, a vintage photo of The Star Club.

A similar view, at night.
To the right, across the street from The Star Club, is The Kaiserkeller.


Hey, there's Ringo and Rory's Hurricanes waving!

Looking back over your left shoulder, in another vintage photo, is The Star Club.

Now, over your right shoulder, looking back at The Kaiserkeller.

Looking back south, The Kaiserkeller on the left and The Star Club on the right.

Again looking south from the other side of the street.

Heading a few steps further north, on the right The Indra comes into view.


Inside, most of us can only imagine.

Looking over your right shoulder, The Indra and Große Freiheit drift out of view.

At the end of Große Freiheit, turn left, a few steps down Paul-Roosen Straße on the left is the Bambi Kino.