The Red Thread () is a urban walking trail in
Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
, Germany, to 36 significant points of interest about
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
and the history of the city centre.
Description
It starts at next to the
tourist information office near approximately south-southeast of the southern, ground level, entrance of the
main railway station.
Threading through the city centre of Hanover and in particular the site of its
old town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...
() in a roughly clockwise direction, the Red Thread ends at the tail end of the equestrian statue of
Ernst August. That statue is situated near about in front of that same, southern ground level, entrance of the main railway station.
Barrier-free for the entire course, the line is repainted annually with about of red paint. A brochure that explains each stop along the Red Thread is available in 10 languages, as is a
mobile app
A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a smartphone, phone, tablet computer, tablet, or smartwatch, watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop appli ...
for
iOS
Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
called that supports 4 languages.
Origin
The Red Thread is based on the
Freedom Trail in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, Massachusetts, and was created in 1971 for a marketing campaign developed for the city of Hanover by an agency chosen in 1969 by city manager
At that time Hanover had a reputation of being one of the most boring cities in Germany.
Appreciating art, city manager Neuffer initiated an image campaign comprising a street art program and a marketing campaign.
Stops along the Red Thread
The walking trail comprises the following 36 numbered stops.
# The Red Thread starts near the tourist information office at the southeast corner of Ernst August Square south-southeast of the main railway station's southern entry.
# is a
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...
of about 35 shops, which opened in 1987.
#
Hanover Opera House, originally opened in , was destroyed in 1943 by the
aerial bombings of Hanover during World War II and reconstructed after the war, finally reopening in 1950.
# stretches from through the main shopping district past the Opera House to
Aegidien Gate Square. The street is named after
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 ...
, a monarch of the
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 ...
who was Duke and
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- ...
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) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
in the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
and then
King of Hanover
The King of Hanover () was the official title of the head of state and Hereditary monarchy, hereditary ruler of the Kingdom of Hanover, beginning with the proclamation of List of British monarchs, King George III of the United Kingdom, as "King o ...
from 12 October 1814, as well as King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820.
# also named after George III, is a square dissected diagonally by George Street.
# The
Aegidien Gate was the southeastern
city gate
A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. It is a type of fortified gateway.
Uses
City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods ...
until 1748 when the area was redeveloped and today is the
Aegidien Gate Square with the
Aegidien Gate Square subway station below it.
#
Aegidien Church was destroyed by the aerial bombings during World War II. Its remnants are left standing as a memorial to the victims of war and violence in the city.
# The in the southeast exterior of Aegidien Church is a copy of the original now housed in
Hanover Historical Museum. Legend has it being the headstone of the "Spartans of Hanover", seven Hanoverians who died defending the city in 1480.
# exhibits contemporary art, focusing on Hanover and the city's twins. Immediately to the gallery's south, a city wall remnant and the dating to 1310 are integrated into a former school building.
# The archer on a copy by
Ernst Moritz Geyger of an earlier piece by him, aims at the mayor's office in the New Town Hall.
#
New Town Hall opened in June 1913, and in November 1946 the new federal state of
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 ...
was proclaimed in its main hall. Four models of Hanover are exhibited in that hall, showing Hanover as it was around 1689, just before World War II, just after the war, and as it is today. An observation platform at the top of the building, reached by a unique elevator that ascends along an arch of up to 17°, offers panoramic views of Hanover that extend to 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 ...
in favourable visibility.
#
Museum August Kestner was founded in 1889 and exhibits art of ancient and Egyptian cultures, design, coins and medals.
# The portal at the entrance to the building department () dates to 1736. It was moved there in 1955 after the barracks whose stable it adorned was destroyed by the aerial bombings during World War II.
# former home of architect
Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves, became a public building in 1908. In 1996 the purchased the building as their headquarters that they now share with the
# Laves built
Wangenheim Palace for his eventual neighbour in 1829–1832. After
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
George w ...
became king 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) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
in 1851, he lived in Wangenheim Palace for 10 years. The building served as town hall from 1862, when officials moved from the
Old Town Hall, until 1913, when they moved into the
New Town Hall.
#
Waterloo Column commemorates the victory over
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 ...
at 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 ...
by (1) the British-led coalition comprising in part troops from
Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
and 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 ...
, and (2) the
Prussian army.
# The was a
pumping station
Pumping stations, also called pumphouses, are public utility buildings containing pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another. They are critical in a variety of infrastructure systems, such as water supply, Land reclamation, ...
from 1895 to 1964 that delivered raw water from the
Leine river for watering green spaces and flushing sewers. Replacing both an earlier pumping station (the ) and the that dated to the 13th century, it was replaced itself by a pumping station further upstream. Today the area accommodates a that honours the
Göttingen Seven
The Göttingen Seven () were a group of seven liberal professors at University of Göttingen. In 1837, they protested against the annulment of the constitution of the Kingdom of Hanover by its new ruler, King Ernest Augustus, and refused to swe ...
andmore broadly
moral courage.
# While the built in 1686, crosses the Leine, it cannot be used for that anymore because the entry to the
Leine Palace immediately on the other side is closed permanently. The bridge itself is open to the public.
# In 1541, the eastern bank of the Leine adjoining the old town began to be raised by about with remnants of that was
slighted in 1371 and the hill on which it stood. The at that bank is named after the
Beguines that inhabited in whose garden it was built (which led to it being recorded in 1357 for the first time when they complained about the noise during its construction), and was part of the fortifications of Hanover. Now a popular promenade, the raised bank has only been known as since 1912, and so cannot have contributed to the most plausible
meaning of "Hanover" being "at the high edge or shore". The western bank is, in part, the eastern shore of the former river island
# On Saturdays the takes place along the promenade on both sides of the Leine among the by
Niki de Saint Phalle (christened Charlotte after
Charlotte Buff, Sophie after
Sophia of Hanover
Sophia (born Princess Sophia of the Palatinate; – ) was Electress of Hanover from 19 December 1692 until 23 January 1698 as the consort of Prince-Elector Ernest Augustus. She was later the heiress presumptive to the thrones of England and ...
, and Caroline after
Caroline Herschel) that are a part of the
# Ascending the High Bank east of the Nanas, past the Beguine Tower, the old town is east of the which features the
national coat of arms of
George I, the first
British monarch
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British con ...
of the
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 ...
. Today it stands where the thought to have been removed when the was constructed between 1643 and 1649, once stood. Built in 1714 as the entry to the riding hall at the new mews that were a part of the of the nearby Leine Palace, the riding hall was destroyed by the aerial bombings during World War II and the gate moved south to its current location in 1967.
# The aerial bombings of Hanover during World War II destroyed all but 40 of the historic old town's
half-timbered
Timber framing () and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timbers with joints secure ...
buildings. Hanover's oldest surviving residential building is situated at the front part dates to 1566, and the back and side parts to 1564. A cluster of 12 houses along , and also survived the bombings, so parts of old buildings, mostly façades, were moved to that area during reconstruction after the war, resulting in the "new old town" of today.
# The
Church of the Holy Cross, built in 1333 ( years ago), is Hanover's oldest church. It became a
Lutheran
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
church after the citizens of Hanover accepted the
Reformation
The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
in 1533.
# In 1655, a Hanoverian entrepreneur known for his generosity, was permitted to add the Duve Chapel with family
tomb
A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called '' immurement'', alth ...
to the southern side of the Church of the Holy Cross in return for a donation. Duve is immured there along with his family.
# While the was built in 1649–64 as a sports and assembly hall, the Ballyard Square was created much later, in the 1930s. In 1667 the Ballyard started to be used as a venue for performances; today it is used by
Hanover Drama, part of Hanover State Theatre.
# The
Hanover Historical Museum concerns itself with the
history of the city, the history of the
House of Welf
The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconian family from the Meuse-Mo ...
, and of the state of Lower Saxony. Opened in 1903, destroyed during the aerial bombings of World War II and rebuilt after the war, the museum incorporates both the Beguine Tower and remnants of the city wall.
# Originally a
priory
A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...
dating to about 1300 that was abandoned from 1533 during the
Reformation
The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
, a small palace began to be constructed on the site in 1636. Modernised and extended in the 17th and 18th centuries, the palace was fully re-built as the Leine Palace between 1816 and 1844including the addition of a column portico. Residence to the king from 1837 to 1866, all but the portico was destroyed during the aerial bombings of World War II. Rebuilt between 1956 and 1962, it has been the seat of the
Landtag of Lower Saxony since 1962.
# was originally constructed in 1499 at 10, about northeast of its current location near Hanover Historical Museum. Becoming known as Leibniz House in the 19th century because
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (or Leibnitz; – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat who is credited, alongside Sir Isaac Newton, with the creation of calculus in addition to ...
lived in a part of the building between 1698 and his death in 1716, it was destroyed during the aerial bombings of World War II and only reconstructed between 1981 and 1983. Its location was changed because the erected after the war at the original location of Leibniz House also became
protected in the meantime.
# Kramer Street () is a
pedestrian zone
Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town restricted to use by people on foot or ...
lined with shops and pubs in the heart of the old town. Most of the half-timbered
façade
A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face".
In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...
s were moved there during reconstruction after World War II. From a point called marked within the pavement on the ground at the eastern end of the street, the towers of all four main Lutheran churches in Hanover may be sighted.
# The
Market Church is the main
Lutheran
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
church in Hanover. Built in the 14th century, it was restored in 1952 after being damaged during the aerial bombings of World War II. The largest of its 11 bells is also the largest in Lower Saxony, and is used on special occasions only.
Hans Michael Elias von Obentraut, who died in 1625 about west at
Seelze during the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
in a battle against
Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, is buried within the church.
# The
Old Town Hall, built from 1410, was Hanover's first town hall. In 1862, officials moved to Wangenheim Palace before moving to the New Town Hall in 1913. Damaged heavily during the aerial bombings of World War II, it was restored extensively in 1953 and 1964. However, throughout its -year history the building has changed more than once, from the surrounding ground being raised causing the original ground floor to become the cellar it is today, demolition of the Pharmacist wing in 1844 to make way for what is today to renovations in 1999, to highlight just some changes.
#
Mascarons such as the one in the façade of the Old Town Hall that faces Köbelinger Street () used to be attached to buildings in Europe to
ward off evil. However, local legend has it being about a boy whose face was turned to stone as punishment.
# The is smaller than the one that stood in its place before World War II. Destroyed during the aerial bombings, the new hall opened in 1954. Stalls found within sell produce such as fruit, vegetables, bread and fish, as well as hot meals.
# George and streets have one of the highest shop densities in Germany, and are part of a pedestrian zone that extends into the surrounding area as far west as Stone Gate Square and from Market Church in the south to the main railway station in the north. The pedestrian zone has two levels along Station Street and the below it. The promenade continues below the railway station to connect with the approximately at its north, and which along its northern third is part of another pedestrian zone.
#
Kröpcke is the central square of Hanover today, located at the intersection of George and Station streets. The at the eastern end of the square is a popular
meeting spot for locals, similar to the spot below the tail of the Ernst August equestrian statue back at the main railway station. the largest in
the city's light rail network, is below the square. All three of Hanover's subway tunnels in use meet at this multi-level station.
# The Red Thread terminates below the tail () of the Ernst August equestrian statue back at the main railway station.
General references
*
*
References
External links
*
Blue Thread
{{subject bar , auto=y , wikt=roter Faden , portal=Lower Saxony
1971 establishments in West Germany
Tourist attractions in Hanover
Urban heritage trails