Ever wondered where Hanover’s students and immigrants find their haven? That is the Nordstadt. It is Hanover’s vibrant university quarter. Nordstadt is a place buzzing with life and untold stories.
Once upon a time, small factories defined Nordstadt. A large railway freightyard bustled with activity until it closed in 1996. World War II brought destruction. However, Nordstadt rose from the ashes. Today, it is a preferred residential area. Students and people of immigrant backgrounds call it home.
Around the Luther Church, discover an almost village-like atmosphere. Pubs and small shops line the streets. Alternative project groups thrive. Numerous communes share houses creating a unique social fabric in Nordstadt.
Let me tell you about the Sprengel Chocolate Factory. It was once squatted. Later, it was legalized. This spot became the base for the annual German punk festival. It is called the Chaos Days. Every first weekend in August, Nordstadt transforms.
The history of Nordstadt is quite something. In medieval times, there were deserted areas. Only street names like “Am Puttenser Felde” and “Schöneworth” remind us of them.
The “Steintor-Gartengemeinde” was the origin of today’s Nordstadt. It once belonged to the Amt Langenhagen. In 1793, it became part of Amt Hannover. The oldest industrial company in Hanover was founded here in 1742. It was the “royal privileged Wachstuchmacherey vor dem Steinthore”. Hanover’s last preserved garden house stands here. It is a classicist half-timbered building from 1820. It is also the oldest house in Nordstadt.
The Steintor-Gartengemeinde was divided into eight districts in 1829. These were Königsworth, Schloßwende, Nordfeld, Fernrode, Vorort, Ostwende, Bütersworth, and Westwende.
In 1843, the Steintor-Gartengemeinde and six villages became the suburb of Hanover. It was incorporated into Hanover in 1859. Before that, the Hornemann paint shop settled on Engelbosteler Damm in 1837. It later became the Pelikan works.
The construction of the Hanover-Minden railway line brought industrial companies. Shortly after the completion of the train station in 1847, it was too small. A new “Produktenbahnhof” was needed. This later became the Hauptgüterbahnhof Hannover. Until 1870, a marshalling yard was built. It was in the triangle between Hanover’s first railway underpass and Kopernikusstraße.
In 1858, the Bode safe factory and the Appel delicatessen factory moved to Engelbosteler Damm. A track remnant leads to the factory premises with the lobster logo. It is from the bend in the Vordere Schöneworth street.
Around 1858, finding a place for the New Jewish Cemetery was difficult. Only a few parts of the suburban area were free from settlements.
The unplanned development shows an irregular settlement of laborers’ cottages and small craft businesses. Small-town, almost rural buildings from the 1860s have been preserved. You can find them on Engelbosteler Damm, Heisenstraße, An der Strangriede, and Oberstraße.
As the population increased, the royal ministry approved a new Protestant-Lutheran parish. From August 28, 1859, the Nikolaikapelle served as a place of worship. After discussions, the “Ochsenpump” was filled in. With the money and patronage of King George V, the Christuskirche was built. It was built as a residential church almost simultaneously with the Welfenschloss.
After the Battle of Langensalza in 1866, the military became a determining economic factor in Nordstadt. Instead of palaces around Königsworther Platz for the royal family, more military facilities and factories arose.
Four of the numerous barracks were located in Nordstadt. After the royal Garde du Corps Caserne, another barracks was built from 1885 to 1888. Opposite the new Nikolai-Friedhof was the train depot.
From 1890 to 1903, six schools were built in Nordstadt. From 1897 to 1900, the fire station was built. In 1898, Emil Berliner and Joseph Berliner founded the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. The first records in the world were manufactured in Kniestraße.
Until World War I, Nordstadt experienced a rapid increase in population. This made dense block development necessary. Nordstadt is a district with a rich history. It is a place where industry, culture, and community intertwine. Come and explore its unique charm.