Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the

German state The Federal Republic of Germany is a federation and consists of sixteen partly sovereign ''states''. Of the sixteen states, thirteen are so-called area-states ('Flächenländer'); in these, below the level of the state government, there is a ...

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...

. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the 13th-largest city in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

as well as the fourth-largest in

northern Germany Northern Germany (, ) is a linguistic, geographic, socio-cultural and historic region in the northern part of Germany which includes the coastal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Lower Saxony and the two city-states Hambur ...

after

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

and

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...

. Hanover's

urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

comprises the towns of

Garbsen Garbsen () is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Leine, approximately northwest of Hanover. The name Garbsen can be traced back to 1223. Today's 13 city districts have partly developed in ...

Langenhagen Langenhagen (; Eastphalian: ''Langenhogen'') is a town in the Hanover district of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. Overview Laatzen Laatzen () is a town in Hanover Region, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated directly south of Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021 ...

and has a population of about 791,000 (2018). The

Hanover Region Hanover Region () is a districts of Germany, district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Heidekreis, Celle (district), Celle, Gifhorn (district), Gifhorn, Peine (district), Peine, Hildeshe ...

has approximately 1.16 million inhabitants (2019) and is the largest in the Hanover–Braunschweig–Göttingen–Wolfsburg Metropolitan Region, the 17th biggest metropolitan area by GDP in the European Union. Before it became the capital of Lower Saxony in 1946, Hanover was the capital of the

Principality of Calenberg The Principality of Calenberg was a dynastic division of the House of Welf, Welf Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg established in 1432. Calenberg was ruled by the House of Hanover (from the Principality of Lüneburg) from 1635 onwards; the princes re ...

(1636–1692), the

Electorate of Hanover The Electorate of Hanover ( or simply ''Kurhannover'') was an Prince-elector, electorate of the Holy Roman Empire located in northwestern Germany that arose from the Principality of Calenberg. Although formally known as the Electorate of Brun ...

(1692–1814), the

Kingdom of Hanover The Kingdom of Hanover () was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Hanover, and j ...

(1814–1866), the

Province of Hanover The Province of Hanover () was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1866 to 1946. During the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover had attempted to maintain a neutral position, alo ...

of the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

(1868–1918), the

of the

Free State of Prussia The Free State of Prussia (, ) was one of the States of the Weimar Republic, constituent states of Weimar Republic, Germany from 1918 to 1947. The successor to the Kingdom of Prussia after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I, it cont ...

(1918–1947) and of the

State of Hanover The State of Hanover () was a short-lived state within the British Zone of Allied-occupied Germany. It existed for 92 days in the course of the dissolution of the Free State of Prussia after World War II until the foundation of Lower Saxony in ...

(1946). From 1714 to 1837 Hanover was by

personal union A personal union is a combination of two or more monarchical states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, involves the constituent states being to some extent in ...

the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, under their title of the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later described as the

Elector of Hanover The Electorate of Hanover ( or simply ''Kurhannover'') was an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire located in northwestern Germany that arose from the Principality of Calenberg. Although formally known as the Electorate of Brunswick-Lünebur ...

). The city lies at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

of the

River Leine The Leine (; Old Saxon ''Lagina'') is a river in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Aller and the Weser and is long. The river's source is located close to the town of Leinefelde in Thuringia. About downriver ...

and its

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

the

Ihme The Ihme (Wennigser Mühlbach in its upper course) is a river of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Leine. The Ihme is long. Its source is in the village a district of Wennigsen. After about , the Ihme reaches the city of ...

, in the south of the

North German Plain The North German Plain or Northern Lowland () is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain. The region is bounded by the coasts of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to the north, Germany's ...

. The city is a major crossing point of railway lines and motorways (

Autobahn The (; German , ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. Much of t ...

en), connecting European main lines in both the east–west (

–

Ruhr area The Ruhr ( ; , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr Area, sometimes Ruhr District, Ruhr Region, or Ruhr Valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 1,160/km2 and a populati ...

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

) and north–south (Hamburg–

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

) directions.

Hanover Airport Hannover Airport is the international airport of Hanover, capital of the Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. The List of airports in Germany, ninth largest airport in Germany, it is situated on in Langenhagen, north of the centre of Han ...

lies north of the city, in

Langenhagen Langenhagen (; Eastphalian: ''Langenhogen'') is a town in the Hanover district of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. Overview Hanover Medical School (), one of Germany's leading

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

s, with its university hospital , and the

Leibniz University Hanover Leibniz University Hannover (), also known as the University of Hannover, is a public research university located in Hanover, Germany. Founded on 2 May 1831 as Higher Vocational School, the university has undergone six periods of renaming, its ...

. The city is also home to International Neuroscience Institute. The

Hanover Fairground The Hanover Fairground ( German: ''Messegelände Hannover'') is an exhibition area in the ''Mittelfeld'' district of Hanover, Germany. Featuring 392,453 m² (4.2 million sq.ft.) of covered indoor space, 58,000 m² (624,306 sq ft) of open-air sp ...

, owing to numerous extensions, especially for the

Expo 2000 Expo 2000 was a World Expo held in Hanover, Germany from 1 June to 31 October 2000. It was located on the Hanover Fairground (Messegelände Hannover), which is the largest exhibition ground in the world. Initially, some 40 million people were ...

, is the largest in the world. Hanover hosts annual commercial

trade fairs A trade show, also known as trade fair, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and ...

such as the

Hanover Fair The Hannover Messe (HM; "Hanover Fair") is one of the world's largest trade fairs, dedicated to the topic of industry development. It is organized by Deutsche Messe AG and held on the Hanover Fairground in Hanover, Germany. The fair attracts ...

and up to 2018 the

CeBIT CeBIT was a computer expo which, at its peak, was the largest and most internationally representative. The trade fair was held each year on the Hanover fairground, the world's largest fairground, in Hanover, Germany. In its day, it was c ...

. It also hosts the biannual IAA Commercial Vehicles show, the world's leading trade show for transport, logistics and mobility. Every year Hanover hosts the Schützenfest Hanover, the world's largest marksmen's festival, and the Oktoberfest Hanover.

Etymology

The name of the city may derive from the German , literally 'on the high (river) bank'. Traditionally, the English spelling is . However, , the German spelling with a double-, has become more popular in English. Recent editions of

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

prefer the German spelling, and the local government uses the German spelling on their English webpages. The English pronunciation, with stress on the first syllable, is applied to both the German and English spellings, which is different from German pronunciation, with stress on the second syllable and a long second vowel. The traditional English spelling is still used in historical contexts, especially when referring to the British

House of Hanover The House of Hanover ( ) is a European royal house with roots tracing back to the 17th century. Its members, known as Hanoverians, ruled Hanover, Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Empire at various times during the 17th to 20th centurie ...

History

Early history

Hanover was founded in medieval times on the east bank of the

Leine The Leine (; Old Saxon ''Lagina'') is a river in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Aller and the Weser and is long. The river's source is located close to the town of Leinefelde in Thuringia. About downriver ...

River. Its original name ''Honovere'' may mean 'high river bank', but that is debated. Hanover was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen that became a comparatively large town in the 13th century and received

town privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...

in 1241 because of its position at a natural crossroads. As overland travel was relatively difficult, its position on the upper navigable reaches of the river helped it grow from increasing trade. It was connected to the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...

city of

by the Leine River and was situated near the southern edge of the wide

and northwest of the

Harz The Harz (), also called the Harz Mountains, is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' der ...

mountains, so east–west traffic such as mule trains passed through it. Hanover was thus a gateway to the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr Area, sometimes Ruhr District, Ruhr Region, or Ruhr Valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 1,160/km2 and a populati ...

and

Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name * Sarr Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist * Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), E ...

river valleys, and their industrial areas which grew up to the southwest and the plains regions to the east and north for overland traffic skirting the Harz between the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

and

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

. In the 14th century, the main churches of Hanover were built, as well as a

city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or Earthworks (military), earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as ...

with three city gates. The beginning of industrialization in Germany led to trade in iron and silver from the northern

Harz Mountains The Harz (), also called the Harz Mountains, is a Mittelgebirge, highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The nam ...

, which increased the city's importance. In 1636

George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (17 February 1582, in Celle (German Georg)– 12 April 1641, in Hildesheim), ruled as Prince of Calenberg from 1635. He was a member of the House of Welf, a prominent German noble family. George was part of a ...

, ruler of the Brunswick-Lüneburg

principality of Calenberg The Principality of Calenberg was a dynastic division of the House of Welf, Welf Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg established in 1432. Calenberg was ruled by the House of Hanover (from the Principality of Lüneburg) from 1635 onwards; the princes re ...

, moved his residence to Hanover. The Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg were elevated by the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...

to the rank of

Prince-Elector The prince-electors ( pl. , , ) were the members of the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire, which elected the Holy Roman Emperor. Usually, half of the electors were archbishops. From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince- ...

in 1692, which was confirmed by the Imperial Diet in 1708. Thus, the principality was upgraded to the

Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg The Electorate of Hanover ( or simply ''Kurhannover'') was an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire located in northwestern Germany that arose from the Principality of Calenberg. Although formally known as the Electorate of Brunswick-Lünebur ...

, colloquially known as the

after Calenberg's capital (see also

). Its electors later became monarchs of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

(and from 1801 of the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into one sovereign state, established by the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801. It continued in this form until ...

). The first of them was George I Louis, who acceded to the British throne in 1714. The last British monarch who reigned in Hanover was

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...

. Semi-Salic law, which required succession by the male line if possible, forbade the accession of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in Hanover. As a male-line descendant of George I, Queen Victoria was herself a member of the House of Hanover. Her descendants, however, bore her husband's titular name of

Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (), or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ( ), was an Ernestine duchy in Thuringia ruled by a branch of the House of Wettin, consisting of territories in the present-day states of Thuringia and Bavaria in Germany. It lasted from 1826 to ...

. Three kings of Great Britain, or the United Kingdom, were concurrently also Electoral Princes of Hanover. During the time of the personal union of the crowns of the United Kingdom and Hanover (1714–1837), the monarchs rarely visited the city. In fact during the reigns of the last three joint rulers (1760–1837), there was only one short visit, by

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

in 1821. From 1816 to 1837,

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

Adolphus Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo, and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name with German origins. The name is a compound derived from the Old High German ''Athalwolf'' (or ''Hadulf''), a composition of ''athal'', or ''adal'', mean ...

represented the monarch in Hanover. During the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

, the

Battle of Hastenbeck The Battle of Hastenbeck (26 July 1757) was fought as part of the Invasion of Hanover during the Seven Years' War between the allied forces of Hanover, Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) and Brunswick, and the French. The allies were defeated by ...

was fought near the city on 26 July 1757. The French army defeated the Hanoverian Army of Observation, which led to the city's occupation as part of the Invasion of Hanover. It was recaptured by Anglo-German forces, led by

Ferdinand of Brunswick Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...

, the following year.

19th century

After

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

imposed the

Convention of Artlenburg The Convention of Artlenburg or Elbkonvention was the surrender of the Electorate of Hanover to Napoleon's army, signed at Artlenburg on 5 July 1803 by ''Oberbefehlshaber'' Johann Ludwig von Wallmoden-Gimborn. It disbanded the Electorate of Hano ...

(treaty of the Elbe) on 5 July 1803, about 35,000 French soldiers occupied Hanover. The convention also required disbanding the

Hanoverian Army The Hanoverian Army (German: ''Hannoversche Armee'') was the standing army of the Electorate of Hanover from the seventeenth century onwards. From 1692 to 1803 it acted in defence of the electorate. Following the Hanoverian Succession of 1714, thi ...

. However,

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

did not recognise the Convention of the Elbe, which resulted in a great number of soldiers from Hanover eventually emigrating to Great Britain, where the

King's German Legion The King's German Legion (KGL; ) was a formation of the British Army during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Consisting primarily of expatriate Germans, it existed from 1803 to 1816 and achieved the distinction of being the on ...

was formed. It was only troops from Hanover and Brunswick who consistently opposed France throughout the Napoleonic Wars. The Legion later played an important role in the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

and the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...

in 1815. In 1814 the electorate became the

. In 1837, the

of the United Kingdom and Hanover ended because

's heir in the United Kingdom was female (

). Hanover could be inherited only by male heirs. Thus, Hanover passed to William IV's brother, Ernest Augustus, and remained a kingdom until 1866, when it was annexed by the

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

during the

Austro-Prussian war The Austro-Prussian War (German: ''Preußisch-Österreichischer Krieg''), also known by many other names,Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Second War of Unification, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), ''Deutsc ...

. Though Hanover was expected to defeat Prussia at the Battle of Langensalza in 1866, Prussia employed Moltke the Elder's Kesselschlacht order of battle to destroy the Hanoverian Army. Thereafter the city of Hanover became the capital of the Prussian

. In 1872, the first horse railway was inaugurated, and in 1893, an electric

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

was installed. A local newspaper, the ''Hannoverscher Kurier'', was published in Hanover at this time.

Nazi era

After 1937 the

lord mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

and the state commissioners of Hanover were members of the

NSDAP The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor, the German Workers ...

(Nazi party). A large

Jewish population the world's core Jewish population (those identifying as Jews above all else) was estimated at 15.8 million, which is approximately 0.2% of the 8 billion worldwide population. Israel hosts the largest core Jewish population in the world with ...

then existed in Hanover. In October 1938, 484 Hanoverian Jews of Polish origin were expelled to Poland, including the Grynszpan family. However, Poland refused to accept them, leaving them stranded at the border with thousands of other Polish-Jewish deportees, fed only intermittently by the Polish

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

and Jewish welfare organisations. The Grynszpans' son

Herschel Grynszpan Herschel Feibel Grynszpan (Yiddish: הערשל פײַבל גרינשפּאן; German language, German: ''Hermann Grünspan''; 28 March 1921 – last rumoured to be alive in 1945, declared dead in 1960) was a History of Jews in Poland, Polish-Jew ...

was in Paris at the time. When he learned of what was happening, he drove to the German embassy in Paris and shot the German diplomat Eduard

Ernst vom Rath Ernst Eduard vom Rath (3 June 1909 – 9 November 1938) was a member of the German nobility, a Nazi Party member, and German Foreign Office diplomat. He is mainly remembered for his assassination in Paris in 1938 by a Polish Jewish teenager, ...

, who died shortly afterwards. The Nazis took this act as a pretext to stage a nationwide pogrom known as

Kristallnacht ( ) or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from the Hitler Youth and German civilia ...

(9 November 1938). On that day, the synagogue of Hanover, designed in 1870 by Edwin Oppler in Neo-romanticism, neo-romantic style, was burnt by the Nazis.

World War II

In September 1941, through the "Action Lauterbacher" plan, a ghettoisation of the remaining Hanoverian Jewish families began. Even before the Wannsee Conference, on 15 December 1941, the first Jews from Hanover were deported to Riga. A total of 2,400 people were deported, and very few survived. During the war seven concentration camps were constructed in Hanover, in which many Jews were confined, but also Polish people, Polish, French people, French and Russians, Russian women. Of the approximately 4,800 Jews who had lived in Hanover in 1938, fewer than 100 were still in the city when troops of the United States Army arrived on 10 April 1945 to occupy Hanover at the end of the war. Today, a memorial at the Opera Square is a reminder of the persecution of the Jews in Hanover. After the war a large group of Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish survivors of the nearby Bergen-Belsen concentration camp settled in Hanover. There was also a camp for Sinti and Romani people (see ''Romani Holocaust''), and dozens of Forced labour under German rule during World War II, forced labour subcamps of the Stalag XI-B German prisoner-of-war camps in World War II, prisoner-of-war camp for Allies of World War II, Allied POWs. Aegidienkirche Hannover

As an important railway and Junction (road), road junction and production centre, Hanover was a major target for strategic bombing during World War II, including the Oil Campaign of World War II, Oil Campaign. Targets included the VARTA, AFA (Herrenhausen, Stöcken), the Oil Campaign of World War II, Deurag-Nerag refinery (Misburg), the Continental AG, Continental plants (Vahrenwald and Linden-Limmer, Limmer), the United light metal works (VLW) in Ricklingen and

Laatzen Laatzen () is a town in Hanover Region, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated directly south of Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021 ...

(today Hanover fairground), Oil Campaign of World War II#References, the Hanover/Limmer rubber reclamation plant, the Hanomag factory (Linden-Limmer, Linden) and the tank factory ''M.N.H. Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen'' (Badenstedt). Residential areas were also targeted, and more than 6,000 civilians were killed by the Allied bombing raids. More than 90% of the city centre was destroyed in a total of 88 bombing raids. After the war, the Aegidienkirche, Hanover, Aegidienkirche was not rebuilt and its ruins were left as a war memorial. Today around 25% of the city consists of buildings from before 1950. The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Hanover in April 1945. The US 84th Infantry Division (United States), 84th Infantry Division captured the city on 10 April 1945.

Post-war

Hanover was in the British zone of occupation of Germany and became part of the new States of Germany, state (Land) of

in 1946. In 1947, Hanover established its relationship with Bristol, Bristol, England in exchanges of goods, students and music. This would link the two cities as models for establishing programs and organizations like Sister Cities International. Today Hanover is a vice-president city of Mayors for Peace, an international mayoral organisation mobilising cities and citizens worldwide to abolish and eliminate nuclear weapons by 2020.

Geography

Climate

Hanover has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen: ''Cfb'') independent of the isotherm. Although the city is not on a coastal location, the predominant air masses are still from the ocean, unlike other places further east or south-central Germany. The Hanover weather station has recorded the following extreme values: * Its highest temperature was on 2022_European_heatwaves#July_heatwave_2, 20 July 2022. * Its lowest temperature was on 22 January 1940. * Its greatest annual precipitation was in 1981. * Its least annual precipitation was in 1959. * The longest annual sunshine was 1,971.6 hours in 1959. * The shortest annual sunshine was 1,274.3 hours in 1998.

Subdivisions

The city of Hanover is divided into 13 boroughs (''Stadtbezirke'') and 53 quarters (''Stadtteile'').

Boroughs

# Hanover-Mitte, Mitte # Vahrenwald-List # Bothfeld-Vahrenheide # Buchholz-Kleefeld # Misburg-Anderten # Kirchrode-Bemerode-Wülferode # Südstadt-Bult # Döhren-Wülfel # Ricklingen # Linden-Limmer # Ahlem-Badenstedt-Davenstedt # Herrenhausen-Stöcken # Hanover-Nord, Nord

Quarters

A selection of the 53 quarters: * Hannover-Nordstadt, Nordstadt * Hannover-Südstadt, Südstadt * Hannover-Oststadt, Oststadt * Hannover-Zoo, Zoo (for the zoo itself, see Hanover Zoo) * Herrenhausen * Waldheim (Hanover), Waldheim

Politics

Mayor

The current mayor of Hanover is Belit Onay of Alliance 90/The Greens, elected in 2019. The most recent mayoral election was held on 17 October 2019, with a runoff held on 10 November, and the results were as follows: ! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate ! rowspan=2, Party ! colspan=2, First round ! colspan=2, Second round , - ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Belit Onay , align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens , 60,096 , 32.2 , 92,146 , 52.9 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Eckhard Scholz , align=left, Independent politician, Independent (Christian Democratic Union of Germany, CDU) , 60,046 , 32.2 , 82,116 , 47.1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Marc Hansmann , align=left, Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party , 43,727 , 23.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Joachim Wundrak , align=left, Alternative for Germany , 8,645 , 4.6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Jessica Kaußen , align=left, The Left (Germany), The Left , 3,628 , 1.9 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Iyabo Kaczmarek , align=left, Independent politician, Independent , 3,593 , 1.9 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Catharina Gutwerk , align=left, Die PARTEI , 2,886 , 1.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Bruno Adam Wolf , align=left, Pirate Party Germany, Pirate Party , 2,382 , 1.3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Ruth Esther Gilmore , align=left, Independent politician, Independent , 841 , 0.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Julian Klippert , align=left, Independent politician, Independent , 536 , 0.3 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 186,380 ! 99.7 ! 174,262 ! 99.6 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 647 ! 0.3 ! 769 ! 0.4 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 187,027 ! 100.0 ! 175,031 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 401,847 ! 46.5 ! 402,129 ! 43.5 , - , colspan=7, Source: City of Hanover
1st round

2nd round
)

City council

The Hanover city council governs the city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 12 September 2021, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) , 165,105 , 27.8 , 11.5 , 18 , 8 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD) , 164,431 , 27.7 , 3.7 , 18 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 123,181 , 20.7 , 3.7 , 13 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Democratic Party (Germany), Free Democratic Party (FDP) , 35,917 , 6.0 , 0.9 , 4 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Germany), The Left (Die Linke) , 33,019 , 5.6 , 1.4 , 4 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alternative for Germany (AfD) , 25,302 , 4.3 , 4.3 , 3 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Die PARTEI (PARTEI) , 13,853 , 2.3 , 0.6 , 1 , ±0 , - , , align=left, The Hanoverians (HAN) , 7,044 , 1.2 , 1.6 , 1 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Pirate Party Germany, Pirate Party (Piraten) , 7,089 , 1.2 , 0.9 , 1 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Volt Germany (Volt) , 10,135 , 1.7 , New , 1 , New , - , colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , , align=left, Climate Alliance Hanover , 4,022 , 0.7 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Voters (FW) , 3,126 , 0.5 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany, Grassroots Democratic Party (dieBasis) , 1,981 , 0.3 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, Active for a Social Hanover (ASH) , 260 , 0.0 , New , 0 , New , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 594,465 ! 100.0 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 201,998 ! 98.8 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 2,373 ! 1.2 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 204,371 ! 100.0 ! ! 64 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 398,328 ! 51.3 ! 0.2 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Hanover

Main sights

Hannover old townhall Karmarschstrasse Mitte Hannover Germany 01

There are around 5,500 buildings of major historic value within city limits. One of Hanover's most grandiose sights is the Herrenhausen Gardens, Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen. Its Great Garden is an important European Baroque garden. The palace itself was largely destroyed by Allied bombing, but was reconstructed and reopened in 2013. Among its points of interest is the Grotto, with the interior designed by French artist Niki de Saint Phalle. The Great Garden consists of several parts and features Europe's tallest garden fountain. The historic ''Garden Theatre'' has hosted the musicals of the German rock musician Heinz Rudolf Kunze. Also at Herrenhausen, the ''Berggarten'' is a botanical garden with the most varied collection of orchids in Europe. Some points of interest are the ''Tropical House'', the ''Cactus House'', the ''Canary House'' and the ''Orchid House'', and free-flying birds and butterflies. Near the entrance to the Berggarten is the historic ''Library Pavillon''. The ''Mausoleum'' of the Guelphs is also in the Berggarten. Like the Great Garden, the Berggarten also consists of several parts, for example the ''Paradies'' and the ''Prairie Garden''. The ''Georgengarten'' is an English landscape garden. The ''Leibniz Temple'' and the ''Georgen Palace'' are two points of interest there. Maschsee Hannover

The landmark of Hanover is the New City Hall (Hanover), New Town Hall (). Inside the building are four scale models of the city. An elevator ascends to the observation deck at the top of the large dome along a variable angle of up to 17 degrees, thought to be unique in the world. The ''Hanover Zoo'' received the Park Scout Award for the fourth year running in 2009–10, placing it among the best zoos in Germany. The zoo consists of several theme areas: Sambesi, Meyers Farm, Gorilla-Mountain, Jungle-Palace, and Mullewapp. Some smaller areas are Australia, the wooded area for wolves, and the so-called swimming area with many seabirds. There is also a tropical house, a jungle house, and a show arena. The new Canadian-themed area, Yukon Bay, opened in 2010. In 2010 the Hanover Zoo had over 1.6 million visitors. There is also the ''Sea Life Centres, Sea Life Centre Hanover'', which is the first tropical aquarium in Germany. Another point of interest is the ''Old Town''. In the centre are the large ''Marktkirche, Hanover, Marktkirche'' (Church , preaching venue of the bishop of the Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran State Church of Hanover, Landeskirche Hanovers), and the 15th century ''Old Town Hall (Hanover), Old Town Hall'', heavily damaged by Allies of World War II, Allied bombing in 1943, and reconstructed after World War II. Nearby are the ''Leibniz House'', the ''Nolte House'', and the ''Beguine Tower''. The ''Kreuz-Church-Quarter'' around the ''Kreuz Church'' contains many little lanes. Nearby is the old royal sports hall, now called the ''Ballhof'' theatre. On the edge of the Old Town are the ''Market Hall'', the ''Leineschloss, Leine Palace'', and the ruin of the ''Aegidien Church'' which is now a monument to the victims of war and violence. Through the ''Marstall Gate'' the bank of the river ''Leine'' can be reached; the ''Nanas'' of Niki de Saint Phalle are there. They are part of the ''Sculpture Mile'', which starts at ''Trammplatz'', runs along the river bank, crosses ''Königsworther Square'', and ends at the entrance of the ''Georgengarten''. Near the Old Town is the district of Calenberger Neustadt where the Catholic St. Clement's Basilica, Hanover, St. Clement's Basilica, the ''Reformed Church'' and the Lutheran Neustädter Kirche, Hannover, Neustädter Hof- und Stadtkirche St. Johannis stand. Some other popular sights are the ''Waterloo Column'', the ''Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves, Laves House'', the ''Wangenheim Palace'', the ''Lower Saxony State Archives'', the ''Hanover Playhouse'', the ''Kröpcke Clock'', the ''Anzeiger Tower Block'', the ''Administration Building of the NORD/LB'', the ''Stadthalle Hannover, Cupola Hall'' of the Congress Centre, the ''Lower Saxony Stock'', the ''Ministry of Finance'', the ''Garten Church'', the ''Luther Church'', the ''Gehry Tower'' (designed by the American architect Frank Gehry, Frank O. Gehry), the specially designed ''Bus Stops'', the ''Opera House'', the ''Hannover Hauptbahnhof, Hanover Central Station'', the ''Maschsee'' lake and the city forest ''Eilenriede'', which is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. For recreation, Hanover has 40 parks, forests and gardens, a couple of lakes, two rivers and a canal. The historic ''Leibniz Letters'', which can be viewed in the ''Gottfried Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Library'', have been on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register since 2007. Outside the city centre is the ''

'', which was the site of Expo 2000, EXPO 2000 fair. Some points of interest are the ''Planet M.'', the former ''German Pavillon'', some nations' vacant pavilions, the ''Expowale'', the ''EXPO-Plaza'' and the ''EXPO-Gardens'' (Parc Agricole, EXPO-Park South and the Gardens of change). The fairground can be reached by the ''Exponale'', one of the largest pedestrian bridges in Europe. The ''Hanover Fairground'' is the largest exhibition centre in the world. It provides of covered indoor space, of open-air space, 27 halls and pavilions. Many of the Exhibition Centre's halls are architectural highlights. Furthermore, it offers the Convention Center with its 35 function rooms, glassed-in areas between halls, grassy park-like recreation zones and its own heliport. Two important sights on the fairground are the ''Hermes Tower'' ( high) and the ''EXPO Roof'', the largest wooden roof in the world. In the district of Anderten is the ''European Cheese Centre'', termed a "Cheese Experience Centre." Another tourist sight in Anderten is the ''Hindenburg Lock'', which was the biggest lock in Europe when it was constructed in 1928. The ''Tiergarten'' in the district of Kirchrode is a forest originally used for deer and other game for the king's table. Telemax Daemmerung b

The ''Telemax (tower), Telemax'' communications tower, the tallest building in Lower Saxony and the highest television tower in northern Germany, lies in the district of Groß-Buchholz. Some other notable towers are the ''VW-Tower'' in the city centre and the old towers of the former middle-age defence belt: ''Döhrener Tower'', ''Lister Tower'' and the ''Horse Tower''. The 36 most significant sights of the city centre are connected by a walking trail called the Roter Faden, ''Red Thread'' that is literally painted onto the pavement with red paint. It starts at the Tourist Information Office and ends on the Ernst-August-Square, both in front of the central train station. There is also a guided sightseeing bus tour through the city.

Population

Einwohnerentwicklung Hannover ab 1871 Geschlechter

Hanover has a population of about 540,000. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, largest city in

and is the 13th largest city in Germany. The

, a district that surrounds the city of Hanover and cities like

Langenhagen Langenhagen (; Eastphalian: ''Langenhogen'') is a town in the Hanover district of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. Overview Garbsen Garbsen () is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Leine, approximately northwest of Hanover. The name Garbsen can be traced back to 1223. Today's 13 city districts have partly developed in ...

and

has a population of about 1,160,000 and is the largest Districts of Germany, District (Landkreis) in Germany. Hannover–Braunschweig–Göttingen–Wolfsburg Metropolitan Region, Hanover metropolitan region, which includes also cities like Braunschweig, Hildesheim and Göttingen, has a population of about 3,850,000 and is the 8th largest metropolitan area in Germany. Hanover passed a population of 100,000 in 1875, and Hanover's population has grown since 1946, when Hanover became the capital of

state and it grew rapidly in 1950s and 60s due to West German Wirtschaftswunder. This also saw the growth of a large migrant population, drawn largely from Turkey, Greece and Italy. Hanover has also one of the largest Vietnamese people in Germany, Vietnamese communities in former West Germany due to its proximity to former East Germany. The Viên Giác pagoda in Mittelfeld, southern district of Hanover is the largest Vietnamese pagoda in Germany and one of the largest in Europe. Hanover is one of the liveable cities due to its good location and good population size. It is the fifth-largest city in the Low German dialect area after Hamburg, Dortmund, Essen and Bremen.

Society and culture

Religious life

Hanover is headquarters for several Protestant organizations, including the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the Protestant Church in Germany, the Reformed Alliance, the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany, and the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church. In 2015, 31.1% of the population were Protestant and 13.4% were Roman Catholic. The majority 55.5% were irreligious or other religion.

Museums and galleries

The Historisches Museum Hannover, Historisches Museum Hanover (Historic museum) describes the history of Hanover, from the medieval settlement "Honovere" to the city of today. The museum focuses on the period from 1714 to 1834 when Hanover had a strong relationship with the British royal family of that period. With more than 4,000 members, the Kestnergesellschaft is the largest art society in Germany. The museum hosts exhibitions from classical modernist art to contemporary art. Emphasis is placed on film, video, contemporary music and architecture, room installments and presentations of contemporary paintings, sculptures and video art. The Kestner-Museum is located in the ''House of 5,000 windows''. The museum is named after August Kestner and exhibits 6,000 years of applied art in four areas: Ancient cultures, ancient Egypt, applied art and a valuable collection of historic coins. The KUBUS is a forum for contemporary art. It features mostly exhibitions and projects of artists from Hanover. The Kunstverein Hannover (Art Society Hanover) shows contemporary art and was established in 1832 as one of the first art societies in Germany. It is located in the ''Künstlerhaus'' (House of artists). There are around seven international exhibitions each year. The Landesmuseum Hannover, Landesmuseum Hanover is the largest museum in Hanover. The art gallery shows European art from the 11th to the 20th century, the nature department shows the zoology, geology, botanic, geology and a ''vivarium'' with fish, insects, reptiles and amphibians. The primeval department shows the primeval history of Lower Saxony, and the folklore department shows cultures from all over the world. The Sprengel Museum shows the art of the 20th century. It is one of the most notable art museums in Germany. The focus is put on the classical modernist art with the collection of ''Kurt Schwitters'', works of German expressionism, and French cubism, the cabinet of abstracts, the graphics and the department of photography and media. Furthermore, the museum shows the works of the French artist Niki de Saint-Phalle. The Theatre Museum shows an exhibition of the history of the theatre in Hanover from the 17th century up to now: opera, concert, drama and ballet. The museum also hosts several touring exhibitions during the year. The Wilhelm Busch Museum is the ''German Museum of Caricature and Critical Graphic Arts''. The collection of the works of Wilhelm Busch and the extensive collection of cartoons and critical graphics is unique in Germany. Furthermore, the museum hosts several exhibitions of national and international artists during the year. A cabinet of coins is the Münzkabinett der TUI-AG. The ''Polizeigeschichtliche Sammlung Niedersachsen'' is the largest police museum in Germany. Textiles from all over the world can be visited in the ''Museum for textile art''. The ''EXPOseeum'' is the museum of the world-exhibition "EXPO 2000 Hanover". Carpets and objects from the orient can be visited in the ''Oriental Carpet Museum''. The ''Museum for the visually impaired'' is a rarity in Germany, there is only one other of its kind in Berlin. The ''Museum of veterinary medicine'' is unique in Germany. The ''Museum for Energy History'' describes the 150 years old history of the application of energy. The ''Heimat-Museum Ahlem'' shows the history of the district of Ahlem. The ''Mahn- und Gedenkstätte Ahlem'' describes the history of the Jewish people in Hanover and the ''Stiftung Ahlers Pro Arte / Kestner Pro Arte'' shows modern art. Modern art is also the main topic of the ''Kunsthalle Faust'', the ''Nord/LB Art Gallery'' and of the ''Foro Artistico / Eisfabrik''. Some leading art events in Hanover are the ''Long Night of the Museums'' and the ''Zinnober Kunstvolkslauf'' which features all the galleries in Hanover. People who are interested in astronomy should visit the ''Observatory Geschwister Herschel'' on the Lindener Mountain or the small planetarium inside of the Bismarck School.

Theatre, cabaret and musical

Around 40 theatres are located in Hanover. The ''Opera House'', the ''Schauspielhaus'' (Play House), the ''Ballhof eins'', the ''Ballhof zwei'' and the ''Cumberlandsche Galerie'' belong to the ''Lower Saxony State Theatre''. The Theater am Aegi is Hanover's principal theatre for musicals, shows and guest performances. The ''Neues Theater'' (New Theatre) is the boulevard theatre of Hanover. The ''Theater für Niedersachsen'' is another large theatre in Hanover, which also has an own musical company. Some of the most important musical productions are the rock musicals of the German rock musician Heinz Rudolph Kunze, which take place at the ''Garden-Theatre'' in the Great Garden. Some important theatre events are the ''Tanztheater International'', the ''Long Night of the Theatres'', the ''Festival Theaterformen'' and the ''International Competition for Choreographers''. Hanover's leading cabaret stage is the ''GOP Variety theatre'' which is located in the ''Georgs Palace''. Some other cabaret-stages are the ''Variety Marlene'', the ''Uhu-Theatre''. the theatre ''Die Hinterbühne'', the ''Rampenlich Variety'' and the revue-stage ''TAK''. The most important cabaret event is the ''Kleines Fest im Großen Garten'' (Little Festival in the Great Garden) which is the most successful cabaret festival in Germany. It features artists from around the world. Some other important events are the ''Calenberger Cabaret Weeks'', the ''Hanover Cabaret Festival'' and the ''Wintervariety''.

Music

Classical music

Hanover has two symphony orchestras: The Lower Saxon State Orchestra Hanover and the NDR Radiophilharmonie (North German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra). Two notable choirs have their homes in Hanover: the Mädchenchor Hannover, Mädchenchor Hanover (girls' choir) and the Knabenchor Hannover, Knabenchor Hanover (boys' choir). There are two major international competitions for classical music in Hanover: * Hanover International Violin Competition (since 1991) * Classica Nova International Music Competition (since 1997); the non-profit association Classica Nova exists in Hanover with the aim of continuing the Classica Nova competition

Popular music

The rock bands Scorpions (band), Scorpions and Fury in the Slaughterhouse are originally from Hanover. Acclaimed DJ Mousse T., Mousse T also has his main recording studio in the area. Rick J. Jordan, member of the band Scooter (band), Scooter was born here in 1968. Lena Meyer-Landrut, Lena, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, 2010 Eurovision Song Contest, is also from Hanover.

Sport

Hannover 96, Hanover 96 (nicknamed , literally 'the Reds') is the top local Association football, football team that currently plays in the 2. Bundesliga. Home games are played at the Niedersachsenstadion (''Lower Saxony Stadium''), which hosted matches in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, 1974 and 2006 FIFA World Cup, 2006 FIFA World Cup, World Cups and the UEFA Euro 1988, Euro 1988. Their reserve team Hanover 96 II plays in the 3rd division of German Football. Their home games were played in the traditional Eilenriedestadion until they moved to the HDI Arena due to DFL directives. Arminia Hannover, Arminia Hanover is another traditional football team in Hanover that has played in the second division (then 2. Liga Nord) for years and plays now in the Niedersachsen-West Liga (Lower Saxony League West). Home matches are played in the Rudolf-Kalweit-Stadium. The Hannover Indians, Hanover Indians are the local ice hockey team. They play in the third tier. Their home games are played at the traditional Eisstadion am Pferdeturm. The Hannover Scorpions, Hanover Scorpions played in Hanover in Germany's top league until 2013 when they sold their license and moved to

Langenhagen Langenhagen (; Eastphalian: ''Langenhogen'') is a town in the Hanover district of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. Overview

Regular events

Hanover is one of the leading exhibition cities in the world. It hosts more than 60 international and national exhibitions every year. The most popular ones are the ''

'', the ''Hanover Fair'', the ''Domotex'', the ''Ligna'', the ''IAA Nutzfahrzeuge'' and the ''Agritechnica''. Hanover also hosts a huge number of congresses and symposiums like the ''International Symposium on Society and Resource Management.'' Hanover is also host to the ''Schützenfest Hannover,'' the largest marksmen's fun fair in the world which takes place once a year from late June to early July. Founded in 1529, it consists of more than 260 rides and inns, five large beer tents and a large entertainment programme. The highlight of this fun fair is the ''Parade of the Marksmen'' with more than 12,000 participants from all over the world, including around 5,000 marksmen, 128 bands, and more than 70 wagons, carriages, and other festival vehicles. This makes it the longest procession in Europe. Around 2 million people visit this fun fair every year. The landmark of this event is one of the largest transportable Ferris wheels in the world, with a height of about . Hanover also hosts one of the two largest spring festivals in Europe, with around 180 rides and inns, 2 large beer tents, and around 1.5 million visitors each year. The Oktoberfest Hannover, Oktoberfest Hanover is the second largest Oktoberfest in the world with around 160 rides and inns, two large beer tents and around 1 million visitors each year. The ''Maschsee Festival'' takes place around the Maschsee Lake. Each year around 2 million visitors come to enjoy live music, comedy, cabaret, and much more. It is the largest Volksfest of its kind in Northern Germany. The Great Garden hosts every year the ''International Fireworks Competition'', and the ''International Festival Weeks Herrenhausen,'' with music and cabaret performances. The ''Carnival Procession'' is around long and consists of 3,000 participants, around 30 festival vehicles and around 20 bands and takes place every year. Other festivals include the Festival ''Feuer und Flamme'' (Fire and Flames), the ''Gartenfestival'' (Garden Festival), the ''Herbstfestival'' (Autumn Festival), the ''Harley Days'', the ''Steintor Festival'' (Steintor is a party area in the city centre) and the ''Lister-Meile-Festival'' (Lister Meile is a large pedestrian area). Hanover also hosts food-oriented festivals including the ''Wine Festival'' and the ''Gourmet Festival''. It also hosts some special markets like the ''Old Town Flea Market'' and the ''Market for Art and Trade''. Some other major markets include the ''Christmas Markets of the City of Hanover'' in the Old Town and city centre, and the Lister Meile.

Tourism

Hannover - Hauptbahnhof Eingangsportal 1

Hanover is an attractive tourist place due to its many sights and famous events. Hanover had about 580,000 visitors in 2021, predominantly from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Famous sights in Hanover are New Town Hall (Hanover), New Town Hall, Herrenhausen Gardens and Hanover Zoo, which is one of the largest zoos in Germany. The annual trade fair "Hannover Messe" usually attracts between 100,000 and 200,000 visitors. First held in 1947, it is dedicated to the topic of industry development and is one of the world's largest trade fairs.

Transport

Hannover main station Ernst-August-Platz Mitte Hannover Germany 03

Rail

The city's central station, Hannover Hauptbahnhof, Hanover Hauptbahnhof, is a hub of the German high-speed Intercity-Express, ICE network. It is the starting point of the Hanover–Würzburg high-speed railway, Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line and also the central hub for the Hanover S-Bahn. It offers many international and national connections.

Air

Hanover and its area is served by

(IATA code: HAJ; International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO code: EDDV) in Langenhagen.

Road

Hanover is also an important hub of Germany's autobahn network; the junction of two major autobahns, the Bundesautobahn 2, A 2 and Bundesautobahn 7, A 7 is at ''Kreuz Hanover-Ost'', at the northeastern edge of the city. Local autobahns are Bundesautobahn 352, A 352 (a shortcut between A7 and A2, also known as the ''Airport autobahn'' because it passes Hanover Airport), and the Bundesautobahn 37, A 37. The limited-access road, expressway () system, a number of Bundesstraße roads, forms a structure loosely resembling a large Beltway, ring road together with A2 and A7. The roads are Bundesstraße 3, B 3, Bundesstraße 6, B 6 and Bundesstraße 65, B 65, called ''Westschnellweg'' (B6 on the northern part, B3 on the southern part), ''Messeschnellweg'' (B3, becomes A37 near Burgdorf, Hanover, Burgdorf, crosses A2, becomes B3 again, changes to B6 at ''Seelhorster Kreuz'', then passes the Hanover fairground as B6 and becomes A37 again before merging into A7) and ''Südschnellweg'' (starts out as B65, becomes B3/B6/B65 upon crossing Westschnellweg, then becomes B65 again at Seelhorster Kreuz).

Bus and light rail

Hanover has an extensive Stadtbahn and bus system, operated by üstra. The city uses designer buses and tramways, the TW 6000 and TW 2000 trams being examples.

Bicycle

Bicycle paths are very common in the city centre. At off-peak hours bikes can be taken on a tram or bus.

Economy

Various industrial businesses are located in Hanover. The Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Volkswagen Transporter (T4), Transporter (VWN) factory at Hanover-Stöcken is the biggest employer in the region and operates a large plant at the northern edge of town adjoining the canal Mittellandkanal and the autobahn A2. Volkswagen shares a coal-burning power plant with a factory of German tire and automobile parts manufacturer Continental AG. Continental, founded in Hanover in 1871, is one of the city's major companies. Since 2008 a take-over has been in progress: the Schaeffler Group from Herzogenaurach (Bavaria) holds the majority of Continental's stock but were required due to the financial crisis to deposit the options as securities at banks. The audio equipment company Sennheiser and the travel group TUI AG are both based in Hanover. Hanover is home to many insurance companies including Talanx, VHV Group, and Concordia Insurance. The major global reinsurance company Hannover Re also has its headquarters east of the city centre.

List of largest employers in Hanover

Key figures

In 2012, the city generated a Gross domestic product, GDP of €29.5 billion, which is equivalent to €74,822 per employee. The Gross value added, gross value of production in 2012 was €26.4 billion, which is equivalent to €66,822 per employee. Around 300,000 employees were counted in 2014. Of these, 189,000 had their primary residence in Hanover, while 164,892 commute into the city every day. In 2014 the city was home to 34,198 businesses, of which 9,342 were registered in the German Trade Register and 24,856 counted as small businesses. Hence, more than half of the metropolitan area's businesses in the German Trade Register are located in Hanover (17,485 total).

Business development

Hannoverimpuls GMBH is a joint business development company from the city and Hanover Region, region of Hanover. The company was founded in 2003 and supports the start-up, growth and relocation of businesses in the Hanover Region. The focus is on thirteen sectors, which stand for sustainable economic growth: Automotive, Energy Solutions, Information and Communications Technology, Life sciences, Life Sciences, Optical technology, Optical Technologies, Creative Industries and Production engineering, Production Engineering. A range of programmes supports companies from the key industries in their Economic expansion, expansion plans in Hanover or abroad. Three regional centres specifically promote international economic relations with Russia, India and Turkey. The Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover is a spin-off from Leibniz University Hanover in the field of production technology that promotes transfer of scientific knowledge to business.

Education

The

is the largest funded institution in Hanover for providing higher education to students from around the world. Below are the names of the universities and some of the important schools, including newly opened Hannover Medical School, Hannover Medical Research School in 2003 for attracting the students from biology background from around the world. There are several universities in Hanover: * Leibniz University Hannover, host institution to the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics * Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover * Hannover Medical School * University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, School of Veterinary Medicine Hanover (''Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover'') * GISMA Business School, part of the for-profit education company Global University Systems. There is one University of Applied Science and Arts in Hanover: * Hochschule Hannover (the former Fachhochschule) The ''Schulbiologiezentrum Hannover'' maintains practical biology schools in four locations (Botanischer Schulgarten Burg, Freiluftschule Burg, Zooschule Hannover, and Botanischer Schulgarten Linden). The University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover also maintains its own botanical garden specializing in medicinal and poisonous plants, the Heil- und Giftpflanzengarten der Tierärztlichen Hochschule Hannover. Hannover has several vocational schools like Berufsbildende Schulen (BBS) ME - Metalltechnik und Elektrotechnik, which specializes in metal and electrical engineering, and BBS Cora Berliner, which specializes in business administration as well as the leisure and trading industries.

In popular culture

* In the "Problem Dog" episode of American crime drama Breaking Bad, viewers learn that Madrigall Electromotive GmbH, the parent company of Los Pollos Hermanos, is located in Hanover.

Notable people

* Hannah Arendt (1906–1975), American political theorist * Erdoğan Atalay (born 1966), actor * Rudolf Augstein (1923–2002), journalist, founder of the weekly journal Der Spiegel * Moritz Baier-Lentz (born 1986), German-American venture capitalist * Hermann Bahlsen (1859–1919), businessman, founder of the biscuit company Bahlsen and inventor of the Leibniz-Keks * Marc Bator (born 1972), journalist * Rudolf von Bennigsen (1824–1902), liberal politician * Klaus Bernbacher (born 1931), conductor, music event manager, broadcasting manager and academic teacher * Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff (1712–1772) a German-Danish statesman * Andreas Peter Bernstorff (1735–1797), Danish diplomat and Foreign Minister * Gero von Boehm (born 1954), director, journalist and television presenter * Emil Berliner (1851–1929), inventor of the phonograph * Anke Blume (born 1969), engineering technology professor, works on silica and silane chemistry. * Walter Bruch (1908–1990), inventor of the PAL color television system * Wilhelm Busch (1832–1908), caricaturist, painter and poet * Laurent Chappuzeau, (ca.1652-??), clockmaker to the Elector of Hanover 1689–1701 * Frederick Dielman (1847–1935), German-American portrait and figure painter * Albert Christoph Dies (1755–1822), German painter, engraver and biographer * Champion Jack Dupree (1910–1992), American Born Blues Musician * Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707–1751), eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain * Gustav Fröhlich (1902–1987), actor and film director * Oskar Garvens (1874–1951), sculptor and caricaturist * George I of Great Britain, George I, (1660–1727), King of Great Britain and Ireland, prince elector of Hanover * George II of Great Britain, George II, (1683–1760), King of Great Britain and Ireland, prince elector of Hanover * George III, (1738–1820), King of Great Britain and Ireland, prince elector of Hanover * Duke of Cambridge#Fourth creation, 1801, George William Frederick Charles, duke of Cambridge (1819–1904), Prince George * Gerhard Glogowski (born 1943), politician (SPD) * Georg Friedrich Grotefend (1775–1853), epigraphist and philologist * Robin E. Haak (born 1986), political scientist. * Fritz Haarmann (1870–1925), prolific serial killer and rapist * Julia Hamburg (born 1986), politician * Conrad Wilhelm Hase, (1818–1902), architect, founder of the Hanover school of architecture * Johann Friedrich Ludwig Hausmann (1782–1859) German mineralogist * William Herschel (1738–1822), astronomer and discoverer of the planet Uranus, and his sister Caroline Herschel (1750–1848), also an astronomer * Wyn Hoop (born 1936), singer * Alfred Hugenberg (1865–1951), businessman and politician (DNVP) * August Wilhelm Iffland (1759–1814), German actor and dramatic author * Manfred Kohrs (born 1957), tattooist, conceptual artist and Master of Economics * Dr. Gindi (born 1965), contemporary sculptor * Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves (1788–1864), architect * Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716), philosopher, mathematician, developed differential and integral calculus * Klaus Meine (born 1948), rock musician, vocalist of the rock band Scorpions (band), Scorpions * Georg Meissner (1829–1905), anatomist and physiologist * Otto Fritz Meyerhof (1884–1951), recipient of the Nobel prize in medicine, 1922 * Lena Meyer-Landrut (born 1991), winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 * Reiner E. Moritz (born 1938), film director and producer * Georg Heinrich Pertz (1795–1876), German historian. * Oliver Pocher (born 1978), comedian and television presenter * Rudolf Erich Raspe (1736–1794), German librarian, writer and scientist * Else Raydt (1883–1931), fashion designer * Waldemar R. Röhrbein (1935–2014), historian, director of Historisches Museum Hannover * Wilhelm Georg Friedrich Roscher (1817–1894), German economist * Dirk Rossmann (born 1946), businessman * Dieter Roth (1930–1998), artist, print-maker, author, poet and world renowned composer * Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002), sculptor, painter and film maker * Friedrich Schlegel (1772–1829), poet, literary critic, philosopher and Indologist * Gerhard Schröder (born 1944), politician (SPD) (former Chancellor of Germany) * Helga Schuchardt (born 1939), politician and engineer * Kurt Schumacher (1895–1952), politician, re-organiser of the SPD after World War II * Kurt Schwitters (1887–1948), artist * Alexander Moritz Simon (1837–1905), Jewish philanthropist, banker and American vice consul * Uli Stein (artist), Uli Stein (1954–2020), artist, cartoonist * Charles Wachsmuth (1829–1896), German-American paleontologist and businessman * Gustav Wagemann (1885–1933), German lawyer, judge and civil servant * Hans Wehrmann (born 1964), entrepreneur, economist, inventor, author and racing driver * Phylicia Whitney (born 1950), journalist and public speaker * Christian Wulff (born 1959), politician (CDU), former President of Germany * Shlomo Zev Zweigenhaft (1915–2005), Chief Rabbi of Hanover and Lower Saxony

Sport

* Husseyn Chakroun (born 2004), footballer * Johannes Dietwald (born 1985), footballer * Hilal El-Helwe (born 1994), German-Lebanese football player * Niclas Füllkrug (born 1993), footballer * Stina Johannes (born 2000), footballer, goalkeeper for the Germany women's national football team * Niklas Mackschin (born 1994), racing driver * Jan Martín (born 1984), German-Israeli-Spanish basketball player * Arnd Meier (born 1973), racing driver * Per Mertesacker (born 1984), footballer * Daniel Reiss (born 1982), professional ice hockey player * Dirk Werner (born 1981), racing driver

Twin towns – sister cities

Hanover is Sister city, twinned with: * Blantyre, Malawi (1968) * Bristol, England, United Kingdom (1947) * Hiroshima, Japan (1983) * Leipzig, Germany (1987) * Perpignan, France (1960) * Poznań, Poland (1979) * Rouen, France (1966) Hanover also cooperates with: * Mykolaiv, Ukraine (2022)

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

*
Official website for tourism, holiday and leisure in Lower Saxony and Hanover
{{Authority control Hanover, Cities in Lower Saxony German state capitals Hanover Region Members of the Hanseatic League Holocaust locations in Germany

Etymology

History

Early history

19th century

Nazi era

World War II

Post-war

Geography

Climate

Subdivisions

Boroughs

Quarters

Politics

Mayor

City council

Main sights

Population

Society and culture

Religious life

Museums and galleries

Theatre, cabaret and musical

Music

Classical music

Popular music

Sport

Tourism

Transport

Rail

Air

Road

Bus and light rail

Bicycle

Economy

List of largest employers in Hanover

Key figures

Business development

Education

In popular culture

Notable people

Sport

Twin towns – sister cities

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links