The aim is not only to conserve the objects, but to operate them in a functional manner and make them accessible to the general public.

The work is continuously supported by the Freundeskreis Maritimes Erbe Hamburg e. V.[3] The Foundation is managed by a four-member Board of Directors.

To this end, the foundation works with shipyards and specialized companies, but also with training and funding institutions.

In the associations that operate the ships and facilities, this personal bond leads to a large voluntary commitment to the preservation of maritime heritage.

Thanks to the volunteers, who work in independent associations, the ships and a railcar of the port railway can also be experienced by everyone on public trips.

The construction of the storage shed was groundbreaking for the economic handling of goods, while aspects of social reform were taken into account for the first time with the associated company buildings.

Sleeping and living pavilions, dining halls, baths, churches, synagogues and rooms for medical examinations were built for the emigrants who were transported on the ships of the then HAPAG.