Doesn’t a home mean more than just four walls? The Wohnungsgenossenschaft Kleefeld-Buchholz eG understands this deeply. It is one of Hannover’s largest housing cooperatives. It has 7496 members. The Wohnungsgenossenschaft Kleefeld-Buchholz eG owns 4473 apartments in 529 buildings. They also manage 64 commercial units and 769 garages. Most of these properties are in eastern Hanover. They are in the Buchholz-Kleefeld district.
Let’s step back in time to the late 19th century. Hanover was rapidly growing. City Director Heinrich Tramm helped it to become a major city. Space was scarce. Social problems grew. A Kleefeld shoemaker named Heinrich Schaper saw the need. He called for a public meeting on March 18, 1894. This led to the founding of the Kleefelder Baugenossenschaft eGmbH. Schaper became its chairman. The goal was to provide better housing for members. They wanted to protect them from exploitative landlords.
Workers and craftsmen in Buchholz shared this vision. In 1905, they created the Gemeinnützigen Bau- und Sparverein Hannover-Buchholz eGmbH. They wanted to live close to their workplaces. These workplaces were moving to the edge of the city.
Just over a year after the Kleefeld cooperative began, the first tenants moved in. This was into nine new apartments on Tieckstraße 13. By 1914, they had built 27 more houses. These contained 222 apartments, three shops, and a post office. In Buchholz, there were 31 houses with 229 apartments. They also had a bakery, a butcher shop, a restaurant, and a store.
After World War I, both cooperatives thrived. The economic crisis of the 1930s brought this to a halt. Building activity stopped. However, from 1935 until the start of World War II, about 120 houses were built in Kleefeld and Buchholz. In 1943, the Kleefelder Baugenossenschaft eGmbH merged. It had already absorbed the Siedlungskameradschaft Deutsche Arbeit and the Heimstätten Bau- und Spargenossenschaft. It merged with the Gemeinnützigen Bau- und Sparverein Hannover-Buchholz eGmbH. This merger created the Wohnungsgenossenschaft Kleefeld-Buchholz eG.
Today, the Wohnungsgenossenschaft Kleefeld-Buchholz eG continues to evolve. In 2016, it expanded its investments to the area around Hanover. Since 2018, it has included new properties in Laatzen. Since 2021, it has included properties in the Vitalquartier at Seelhorst. In 2022, the cooperative developed a sustainability strategy. This strategy focuses on environmental, social, and governance factors.
The cooperative’s housing stock is mainly in eastern Hanover. There are also townhouses in Laatzen. Kleefeld has 2443 apartments. Groß-Buchholz has 1011. Heideviertel and Misburg have 929. Seelhorst has 44 and Laatzen has 46.
Since 2006, the Wohnungsgenossenschaft Kleefeld-Buchholz eG has modernized its properties. They have added balconies, insulation, and new facades. Since 2010, they have also built new apartment buildings.
The Wohnungsgenossenschaft Kleefeld-Buchholz eG publishes a magazine. It is called “Blickpunkt”. It comes out twice a year.
The Wohnungsgenossenschaft Kleefeld-Buchholz eG also offers guest apartments. These are available in Kleefeld, Heideviertel, Misburg, and Buchholz/List. They provide meeting places for residents. These are in Kleefeld, Buchholz/List, and Misburg.
The cooperative focuses on the needs of its members. It provides modern apartments at fair rents. It promotes community through social services. The Wohnungsgenossenschaft Kleefeld-Buchholz eG has been a reliable partner since 1894. It offers security during housing shortages. It creates sustainable and affordable homes in Hannover. The cooperative considers ecological needs. It supports its members and employees. It is a forward-thinking and responsible organization.