City of HannoverThe city of Hannover on the Leine River is the largest city near Bantorf, the village where our Hoppe family originated. It is a manufacturing, commercial, and rail center. Products of the city include motor vehicles, machinery, rubber products, printed materials and processed food. The Altstadt, or old section of the city, has many medieval features, including narrow streets, gabled houses with overhanging balconies, and the Markt Kirche, a brick structure dating from the 14th century. The oldest church building in Hannover is the Kreuzkirche, constructed about 1300. Among other notable structures is the former royal palace, completed in 1640 and now an art museum. Hannover received a charter in 1241 and in 1692 the city became the capital of the electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Major commercial and industrial development began after the city passed to Prussia in 1866. It was badly damaged during World War II. The population was estimated to be 505,700 in 1987. Copyright © 1998 by Weldon Hoppe |