The Alster swans have a special meaning for Hamburg. They have been living on the Alster for several hundred years. They have a winter quarters and a swan father who looks after the animals.
Our swan tradition goes back to the 11th century," explains Olaf Nieß when we visit him in his office a few weeks earlier. "In the past, only royal and princely families had swans - so Hamburg positioned itself as equal to these animals. To this day, they are seen as a symbol of the freedom and economic independence of the Hanseatic city." And this is even international: from time to time, individual animals are presented as state gifts to cities at home and abroad. So Hamburg is attached to its swans. That is why the municipal office of the district gamekeeper, affectionately known as the swan father, has existed since 1674. It is considered to be the oldest official position in Hamburg. Olaf Nieß is the second generation to do the job; he is actually a trained businessman. After a second, six-and-a-half-year vocational training course, he took over the position from his father Harald in 1996.