HERA-B: overview and engineering runs

HERA-B represents the pioneering hadronic B factory, using fixed target techniques at the HERA proton storage ring at DESY. Although the experiment has been primarily optimized for measuring CP violation in the decay B0→J/ψKS0, it addresses a wide range of topics in heavy quark physics, complementing the physics accessible at e+e− colliders. The detector and target design, the physics capabilities, and the technical status of the HERA-B project are discussed. Recent results from engineering runs using a partially installed detector are presented.