In this article, dedicated to the architecture of Hannover, we will 'fly' over such iconic historical monuments as New Town Hall, Opernhaus, Hannover Congress Centrum, and Norddeutsche Landesbank. In addition to the virtual flight video, we offer the most important and interesting facts about every landmark, including high-quality photographs. You can also use this article to make your own excursion tour in Hannover. Simply use the icon to locate the object of interest on the map of Hannover.
New Town Hall, Hannover
Location on the map: Facts:
» The New Town Hall was built at the beginning of the 20th century. With its elegant exterior, it looks like an ancient castle. It was constructed on the marshland, so the foundation of the building is supported by 6 000 beech piles. » The opening ceremony was visited by the last Emperor Wilhelm II. Rooms, graceful staircases, and balconies are decorated with lots of sculptures and bas reliefs.
» In the main domed tower, there is an observation platform. To reach it, you need to go up the spiral stairs or use an unusual lift that moves downhill.
» In the main spacious hall, visitors can see four layouts depicting Hanover at different points in time: 1689, 1939, 1945 and 2000.
» In 2000, the New Town Hall hosted the Expo 2000 exhibition. There was a press center for foreign journalists. Now, the staff of two city newspapers works here.
» Even though the Town Hall seats the city administration, art exhibitions are often held here.
Opernhaus, Hannover
Location on the map: Facts:
» The Opernhaus was built by sculptor Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves in 1852. This magnificent building was decorated with arches, columns, and statues of famous poets and composers. » The theatre was destroyed completely during the bombing in 1943. It was reconstructed by architect Werner Kallmorgen in 1950.
» During the following years, it was refurbished many times. Excellent acoustics was created here. In the audience hall, there are 1 200 seats.
» Famous singers from China, Korea, and Japan sing in the troupe of the modern theatre. The Ukrainian singer Alla Kravchuk was the prime of the Hanover stage. This theatrical troupe is the biggest in Germany.
» In recent years, hipsters get together in the evenings near the theatre for some reason. However, their behavior does not cause complaints from citizens and tourists.
Hannover Congress Centrum, Hannover
Location on the map: Facts:
» The Hannover Congress Centrum was built before the First World War. On the walls of the Main Hall, a big magnificent classic building with a domed roof, you can see an inscription: «Built by the will of citizens for artistic needs in 1914». » Besides, there are other halls: Lower Saxony, Glass, and Eilenriede. Here, public events, congresses, and concerts are held.
» Near the Congress Centrum, there is an exhibition complex, EXPO 2000. It hosts annual exhibitions of the most modern industrial technology from different countries.
» The Congress Centrum is surrounded by a park. In 1951, the national exhibition of garden and parking art was organized here. Today, florists can hold their exhibitions in the park. It has become the most beautiful and well-groomed place for walks and recreation.
Norddeutsche Landesbank, Hannover
Location on the map: Facts:
» In Hanover, the worldwide Expo 2000 exhibition was held. The Norddeutsche Landesbank was built specifically for this as proof of new building capabilities. » Six years have passed since the creation of the project in 1996. Engineer Stefan Banic focused on the artistic exterior of the high building.
» From the outside, this futuristic and extraordinary construction resembles cubes. The bank is home to several big enterprises.
» This public corporation belongs to the federal state. The head office is located in Hanover.
» The history of the bank dates back to 1765. Its main purpose is to develop agriculture, shipbuilding and aircraft industry. Today, branches of this financial institution are located around the world.
» The bank is proud of the collection of paintings. They started to be collected in 1985.
» This collection is aimed at presenting contemporary arts. Now, the banking collection includes about 3 000 exhibits. Most of them are pieces of post-war art.
» You can see paintings in offices. In the late 90s, exhibitions were opened here.
Lower Saxony State Museum, Hannover
Facts: » The Lower Saxony State Museum has a rich collection of exhibits referred to different spheres: archeology, art, flora and fauna, ethnography, and numismatics. It was founded in 1856 and named the Museum of Art and Science.
» When the collection was expanded and needed more space, a new building was built in 1902.
» Now, the collection of the museum includes a million exhibits. The most unique art exhibits are pictures of Rembrandt, Rubens, and Dürer.
» As for the archeological collection, you can see here a mummy that appeared in the 2nd century AD.
» The museum also has a big collection of marine animals (about 200 species) from all parts of the ocean.
» Here, you can also see an interesting collection of coins, orders, and medals that includes 43 000 exhibits.