Bornum

Whispers of “Born” and “Heim” echo through the ages, giving Bornum its name, meaning “home by the wellspring”. Bornum, nestled in southwest Hanover, beckons us to uncover its layered history. Bornum is a small Stadtteil. In fact, it’s the second smallest in Hanover by population, with just over 1,400 residents in 2022. Imagine Bornum in the Middle Ages, a quaint village of 13-14 farmsteads, first mentioned in documents dating back to 1130. A humble chapel once stood here, a simple Fachwerk structure on a stone foundation. The chapel bell, cast in 1452, bore the Latin inscription “O rex gloria veni cum pace” – “O King of Glory, come in peace”. Sadly, both bell and chapel are gone, the chapel demolished in 1971. Its replacement, the Petrus and Pauluskirche, met a similar fate in 2003. Bornum’s history is intertwined with the expansion of Hanover. Once situated on the road from Empelde to Linden, it was bisected by the Mindener Chaussee in 1782 and later bordered by railway lines. Interestingly, parts of what are now Badenstedt, like the Bornumer Holz woods and the allotment gardens, were once part of Bornum. Even the settlement of Körtingsdorf fell within Bornum’s boundaries. Bornum became part of Linden in 1909, and then, in 1920, both became part of Hanover. This northern connection contrasts with its current administrative inclusion in the southern district of Ricklingen. During World War II, under Nazi rule, Bornum became a hub of quiet resistance. In the old farmhouse number 18, two friends, Karl Nasemann and Oskar Rödiger, secretly listened to “enemy” radio broadcasts, powered by batteries in a house yet to be connected to the electrical grid. Bornum today is a study in contrasts. West of Bornumer Straße, the residential area lies quietly, accessible to cars only via Im Dorfe street and to buses through a tunnel. This isolation limits interaction with neighboring districts. Despite a local S-Bahn station, residents often venture out to Badenstedt or Mühlenberg for schools, shops, and community activities. East of Bornumer Straße, however, Bornum buzzes with commercial activity. Here you’ll find the Hanover Großmarkt (wholesale market), Fire Station 4, a Harry-Brot factory, and branches of Metro and Kaufland. Even the Lower Saxony State Theatre has its rehearsal and workshop center here. Bornum, a small Stadtteil with a big history, invites you to explore its contrasting facets and appreciate the echoes of its past.