[3] This acquisition included much of the trade route between Hamburg and Lübeck, thus providing a safe passage for freight between the cities.

Armies of both cities opened a second front and conquered Bergedorf, Riepenburg castle and the Esslingen river toll station (today's Zollenspieker Ferry) within weeks.

The area was formally annexed to the First French Empire as part of Bouches de l'Elbe département between 1811 and 1813.

[6] Effective of 1 January 1868 Lübeck sold its share in the bi-urban condominium to the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg for 200,000 Prussian thaler.

Located in the south-east of the city, the borough of Bergedorf comprises the districts of Allermöhe, Altengamme, Bergedorf, Billwerder, Curslack, Kirchwerder, Lohbrügge, Moorfleet, Neuallermöhe (new district since January 2011), Neuengamme, Ochsenwerder, Reitbrook, Spadenland and Tatenberg.

In 2017 the city of Hamburg started planning the new quarter Oberbillwerder which is located in today's Billwerder.

In 2006, according to the statistical office of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, the borough of Bergedorf has a total area of 154.8 square kilometres (60 sq mi).

[8] According to the Department of Motor Vehicles (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt), there were 48,003 private cars registered (406 cars/1000 people) in the borough of Bergedorf.

According to the census of March 1863 the Bi-Urban Condominium had a population of 12,468 souls, of which 2,957 lived in Bergedorf city (the rest lived in the other five municipalities of the condominium),[6] making it by far the German territory with the smallest population to issue stamps.

Hamburg, including its Rural Seigniory of Bergedorf began using stamps of the North German Confederation in 1868.