25 years. Accession in October 1888 On 15 October 1888, Hamburg joined the Customs Union and on 29 October the new free port area was inaugurated in the presence of Emperor Wilhelm II. Consequences The consequences of the Customs Union were immediately felt for Hamburg consumers: the prices of many consumables rose. A pamphlet published on 15 October 1888, under the heading "Hamburger Weh" stated: "Instead of the coffee we drink today, we'll be waving, bells, as in Saxony. Instead of imported goods, you will smoke a cigar from the dear Palatine country. If you also feel a little discomfort, rebelliously your stomach will also smell". The Hamburg wholesale merchants were sceptics. However it became apparent that the founding of the free port district was of great benefit, for not only could free trade continue much as before, but the rebuilt harbour provided the most modern facilities and a great increase in capacity. This assisted economic development of the rest of the city. As this was now behind the protective external tariff of the Custom Union, industrial enterprises that were previously uncompetitive, now grew extensively. The citizens of Hamburg were driven to make use of articles of German origin much more freely than before, as many of them were cheaper than corresponding foreign articles which were now weighted with a Customs duty. As predicted, the new conditions favoured the development of manufactures in Hamburg itself. With the free port, Hamburg became the leading port in continental Europe and the world's fourth largest after New York, London and Liverpool. This continued the increase of trade prior to the accession, which in 1873- 1887 grew by 44.2%. Nevertheless, outside the Customs Union, the growth of Antwerp and Rotterdam was faster than that of Hamburg in this period and both surpassed Hamburg after the First World War. Being still outside the Customs Union, the structure of cargo handling in the free port did not change through the accession: Hamburg remained Germany's industrial port, mainly importing raw materials and foodstuffs and exporting processed products. The rapid growth of the entrepôt trade demanded a permanent expansion of the free port. In preparation for its inclusion in the Customs Union, the state of Hamburg was obliged to carry out the following proceedings: The whole city was divided into a large number of small districts. Every citizen paying above a certain moderate rent had to make an