Bill Hillman Tracks
THE BEATLES IN HAMBURG
Early '60s ~ Part II: Digs
PART I: Gigs  |  PART II: Digs
CONTENTS
2008 Photos by Bill Hillman
Supplementary photos & text from Web and Bio references

 
Cinema Bambi Kino
Paul-Roosen-Straße 33
August - November 1960
The Cinema Bambi Kino location is a block up from the corner of Paul-Roosen-Straße and Große Freiheit. This is where the Beatles lived when they first came over to Hamburg and were playing at the Indra.  The building no longer serves as a cinema but there is a plaque behind the ivy denoting the site.

The Beatles lived here during their first stay in Hamburg between August 18th and November 28th 1960. Their lodging consisted of small, gloomy, unheated, and windowless rooms, located next to the smelly toilet. One wash-basin was also available. At the time they were playing in the Indra and the Kaiserkeller, which along with the Bambi cinema belonged to Bruno Koschmider.

PAUL: We lived backstage in the Bambi Kino, next to the toilets, and you could always smell them. The room had been an old storeroom, and there were just concrete walls and nothing else. No heat, no wallpaper, not a lick of paint; and two sets of bunk beds, with not very much covers. We were frozen.

KLAUS VOORMAN: The Beatles were imported from England and put up in the back of a cinema, the Bambi Kino. They lived in two tiny storage rooms in which you could just about swing a cat, as long as the cat had no tail.

.
.
.
.
.
. .
.
. . .

The Beatles' unheated backstage room at Bambi Kino

Plaque

George in the Bambi Kino room
.
.
.

 
 
Family home of Astrid Kirchherr
Eimsbütteler Str. 45a
The Kirchherr family lived on the third floor of this building. A great friendship developed between the Beatles and Astrid and Klaus Voormann who worked in the home's studio. Astrid took many artistic photos of the Beatles which played a big part in creating their image. Stuart Sutcliffe later moved in with Astrid. He lived and painted here until his death on April 10, 1962.
.
.
. .

The Kirchherr home
Eimsbütteler Str. 45a

Stuart and Astrid
,

Astrid Today
.

John Lennon & George Harrison
in the attic studio
. . . .
Letter from Stuart to Millie
April 31, 1961
Ref: Liverpool Museum
The full text of the letter reads:
Dear Mother,
How are you and the family – happy I hope as you said in your letter there is a gross misunderstanding on Williams' part in thinking I could possibly give even in a gift my last few precious paintings. I was under the impression that he was contemplating arranging a small exhibition in his new club. I will write to him and re-enlighten him. I am so happy you had such a nice time with my father and thank you for his address, but it seems rather impossible to collect anything substantial in the way of stamps to send just yet, but I will write. I have spent the last 2 weeks composing a letter for [unclear] at the college. He should have it now and I hope he replys [sic]. I'm still a bit sad that you think I’ve made a mess of my future, but out of it all I have something to really compensate – my love for Astrid which knows no boundaries and her love for me. I'm quite certain I will start teaching in September and hope to know for definite where in the next 2 or 3 months. I have enclosed some money but can't send much as I'm paying off the bank £8 plus £12 to college which I borrowed about 3 years ago and forgot about + guitar and amplifier.

    I'm sorry you didn’t like the photo (I didn't actually but its very difficult to make double portraits) but never mind. Will write again soon, love from myself and Astrid to all at home. Your son Stuart xxxx

. . .
. . .
. .
The Stuart Sutcliffe Story at the Liverpool Museum Site:


Hotel Germania
Detlev-Bremer-Straße 8
The Beatles stayed in this hotel during their second Star-Club engagement in November 1962. The Beatles now had single rooms. The band had experienced many changes: Ringo had joined them on drums and John was now married to Liverpool girlfriend, Cynthia Powell.
.. ..
.. ..

 
 
Hotel Pacific
Neuer Pferdemarkt 30
The Beatles stayed in Hotel Pacific during their last engagement in Hamburg, December 1962. Many Star-Club performers stayed here during their Hamburg stints.
..
..

 
 
Castle Hotel and Castle Park
Tremsbüttel ~ Schloßstraße 10
The Beatles stayed here in this secluded Castle after their two concerts in the Ernst-Merck-Halle, June 26 & 27, 1966. It was here that the Beatles reunited with their old Hamburg friends, including Astrid Kirchherr and Manfred Weißleder and spent many hours talking over old times.

This famous centuries-old hotel attracted top artists, poets, philosophers, actors, musicians and other celebrities over the years.

JOHN: Wonderful!



Castle Park-Impressions



 

Police Station Davidwache
Spielbudenplatz 31
Paul McCartney and Pete Best spent part of a night in the Davidwache Police Station in December 1960. 

On November 28, 1960, Paul and Pete lit fire to a condom on the wall of the Bambi Cinema. The Beatles had just quit their gig Bruno Koschmider's Kaiserkeller so they could move over to the Top Ten club. They were looking for a way to make a grand exit. Unfortunately, Koschmider did not share their sense of humor and filed charges with the Police.

PAUL: One evening we were just walking down the Reeperbahn, when we heard this "ta-ti-ti-ta", and then "Komm mit mir!" ("come with me!")

They were detained at the Davidwache station during the night of December 4th, 1960 and were expelled from Germany the next day.

. .

Davidwache Police Station under renovation

Police Station from the rear
. .
. .
. .

PART I: Gigs  |  PART II: Digs
BACK TO CONTENTS