Step into the Liststadt a remarkable residential area in Hanover. Built between 1929 and 1931 it’s a testament to the New Objectivity architectural style. Imagine a time when innovative designs were shaping urban landscapes. The Liststadt was one of the first housing developments in Hanover to utilize a linear construction method. It was a bold step a departure from traditional building practices.
Architect Adolf Falke designed the Liststadt for the List-Stadt GmbH construction company. The result was a fascinating mix of four and six-story buildings. Four-story structures with stucco facades gracefully alternate with taller six-story buildings featuring flat roofs. These buildings line the Podbielskistraße creating a unique streetscape. The ground floors were designed to house shops and throughways adding to the vibrant atmosphere. The sixth floors meanwhile housed spacious atelier apartments with large windows. Think of the artists who once lived there the light flooding their studios.
The Liststadt was meant to accommodate 900 two to four-room apartments. Sadly World War II intervened. Air raids heavily damaged the western section of the Liststadt. Many apartments were destroyed. Only a portion of the original complex survives today.
But the Liststadt is not just a collection of buildings. It has a human story. Grethe Jürgens a painter of the New Objectivity movement. She lived in an atelier apartment on the fifth floor of a building on Podbielskistraße. This was back in 1929. Her legacy lives on. The Grethe-Jürgens-Straße in the List district of Hanover is named after her.
Another resident the actor Michael Umansky and his wife Wilma. They were Jewish. They lived in the building at Podbielskistraße 274. They were victims of Nazi persecution and deported. Michael died in the Hailfingen subcamp in 1944. A Stolperstein a stumbling stone remembering him was placed in front of their last voluntary residence on December 4 2012.
The Liststadt in Hanover stands as a powerful reminder of a bygone era. It’s a blend of architectural innovation historical context and human stories. This is an area that deserves to be explored and remembered. The surviving buildings are a testimony to the past. They offer a glimpse into the lives of those who once called the Liststadt home.