The square was first mentioned in 1260 as
Pferdemarkt. Horse trading was later relocated to
Neuer Pferdemarkt (
New Horse Market) square in
St. Pauli after construction of
Hamburg city walls. The square was renamed after dramatist and novelist
Gerhart Hauptmann after his death in 1946. In the 1970s the square was redesigned with a wavy surface, which was partly flattened in the 2000s, because the square should be used regularly for a Christmas market and other events.
Thalia Theater is located at the square since 1843. Major retailer
Karstadt has its Hamburg central department store at the corner of Gerhart-Hauptmann-Platz and Mönckebergstraße, often called
Karstadt Mö by the Hamburg inhabitants. ==References==