Hagenbeck Zoo

Brief information

At Hagenbeck Zoo, the idea of displaying animals was first built not around cages, but around an environment resembling nature: trees, bodies of water, and rocks. That is why what matters here is not only the range of species, but the very organization of the space. The zoo opened in 1907 in Hamburg and is associated with Carl Hagenbeck, a scientist, businessman, and animal trainer who had previously owned a circus and traded in wild animals.

Today the place remains private and belongs to the Hagenbeck family. Its scale is best understood through movement: the 25-hectare grounds are arranged as a network of paths and walkways about 7 kilometers long. Along them, a collection of 210 species unfolds, but the main fact that changes one's view is the layout itself: the animals are presented through specially created trees, water, and rocks, not only through signs by the enclosures.

What to Notice First

It is worth observing how different elements serve one idea: to show the animal in an environment that recalls its habitat. The trees, bodies of water, and rocks here are not a backdrop, but part of the concept of the first zoo of this type. The main entrance also sets the theme: its sculptural group was made by the animalier Josef Pallenberg, that is, an artist who worked with depictions of animals.

Near the main entrance is a tropical aquarium with animals and reptiles, so the entrance area immediately connects the decorative image of an animal with a living exhibition. In the center of the zoo, one can compare the arrangement of the enclosures: lions and tigers are located in the center, with a herd of zebras placed in front of them. This juxtaposition shows especially well that the layout here itself creates a scene for observation, rather than simply distributing animals across areas.