Customs today

The tasks Customs carries out today are every bit as varied and colourful as its history. So why not take a closer
look?

As borders within Europe have opened, the face of Customs has been transformed. Besides collecting taxes
and customs duties on the border, Customs ensures that
the international trade in goods can flow smoothly,
strives to keep market competition fair, combats illegal
work, product piracy and criminality, and fights to protect endangered plant and animal species.
Around 40,000 Customs officers work day in, day out, to
safeguard the states ability to provide public services,
promote business in Europe and help stabilise social systems. Customs is a modern service and security administration for citizens and for the economy:

Informations- und Wissensmanagement Zoll

Carusufer 3 - 5
01099 Dresden

German Customs Museum:

Customs
Customs takes care of the efficient collection of duties to
ensure that the state is able to function effectively.

German
Customs Museum

Customs implements modern methods and processes to

promote trade and the economy and thus support
Europe as a business location.
Customs protects citizens, the economy and the environment.
Customs takes action to combat illegal work and illicit
employment in order to stabilise the social system and
the labour market.
Customs fights cross-border organised crime, ranging
from drugs trafficking to product piracy, from smuggling to money laundering.

German Customs Museum

Alter Wandrahm 16
20457 Hamburg
Public transport links:
Underground: U 1 to Meberg
Bus: bus number 3, 4 or 6 to Bei St. Annen
Contact:
Tel.: +49 (0) 40 / 4 28 20 - 39 11
Fax:
E-mail: museum@zoll.de
Internet: www.museum.zoll.de

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm
Entry: 2.00
(free for children and young people under 18)

PUBLISHERS INFORMATION:
Published by:
Bundesministerium der Finanzen
Abteilung III
Dienstsitz Bonn:
Am Probsthof 78 a
53121 Bonn
Last updated:
February 2012

Design and Production:

The Federal Revenue
Administrations Training and
Knowledge Centre
Photos:
Training and Knowledge Centre
German Customs Museum
Registration number:
90 SCA 123

Guided tours are available from Tuesday to Friday for groups of over
10 people. Please book in advance.
The media centre has film-viewing facilities for up to 28 people.
Visitors with research interests may wish to make use of our library.

Customs through the ages

Customs through the ages

First floor

The history of customs and excise goes back some

5000 years, beyond the times of the apostle Matthew,
who is surely the best-known tax collector in history.
The first customs duties in what is now Germany were
collected on the Limes, the border to the Roman Empire,
which was guarded by the military.

Customs in
the GDR
(East Germany)

The foundation of the German Empire in 1871 created a territory with largely uniform customs legislation. The Weimar Constitution of 1919 established the Reich finance
administration.

Welcome to the Customs

Museum in Hamburgs
historic warehouse district

At work
beyond
borders

is the Customs Boat Oldenburg, which is moored in

the Customs Canal in front of
the Museum.

Roman
Provinces

Frankish
Realm and
Holy Roman
Empire

Zollverein
(Customs
Union)

Arms and
drug
smuggling

Social justice

district) has been home to the German Customs

space of 800 square metres. A particular highlight

German
Empire

Ground floor

Hamburgs historic Speicherstadt (warehouse

Today, the Museum offers around 1,000 exhibits in a

Weimar
Republic

Customs today

The former Kornhausbrcke Customs Office in

Museum since 1992.

Federal
Customs
Administration

National
Socialism

The Middle Ages saw political power decentralised and

dispersed throughout Germany. The territory was composed of small German states that were dependent on
the income they made from customs duties. As recently
as around 1800, there were still approximately 1,800 customs offices throughout Germany. It was in 1834 that
most of the German states joined together to form the
Zollverein, the Customs Union. This made the long-held
aspiration of simpler trade and travel a reality.

During the Third Reich a large proportion of customs officials were posted to work on the borders. Strict border controls, particularly applied to Jews, were carried out to prevent anyone leaving the country without valid travel
documents and stop currency being taken across the border
illegally.

From 1949 to 1990, East and West Germany operated separate customs administrations. Because of the differences in
the two political systems, these customs administrations
had quite different tasks and objectives.

Excise duty

World
trade

Product
piracy

Protecting endangered species

Entrance