Misplaced Pages

#885114

127-712: Johanna Narten, known as "Jo", was born in Hannover on 5 October 1930 to Herta and Karl Narten, who had met while studying chemistry in Berlin . During World War II , she and her mother were evacuated to stay with family in Eisenberg ; her father had been recruited into the German army. While in Eisenberg, Narten began learning Latin with her grandfather. Following the war the family returned to Hannover, where Narten attended

254-748: A general armistice ended the fighting. In the German Revolution (November 1918), Wilhelm II and the ruling princes abdicated their positions, and Germany was declared a federal republic . Germany's new leadership signed the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, accepting defeat by the Allies . Germans perceived the treaty as humiliating, which was seen by historians as influential in the rise of Adolf Hitler . Germany lost around 13% of its European territory and ceded all of its colonial possessions in Africa and

381-460: A sustainable energy supply, the debt brake for balanced budgets, measures to increase the fertility rate ( pronatalism ), and high-tech strategies for the transition of the German economy, summarised as Industry 4.0 . During the 2015 European migrant crisis , the country took in over a million refugees and migrants. Germany is the seventh-largest country in Europe . It borders Denmark to

508-567: A temperate climate, ranging from oceanic in the north and west to continental in the east and southeast. Winters range from the cold in the Southern Alps to cool and are generally overcast with limited precipitation, while summers can vary from hot and dry to cool and rainy. The northern regions have prevailing westerly winds that bring in moist air from the North Sea, moderating the temperature and increasing precipitation. Conversely,

635-460: A NATO effort to provide security in that country after the ousting of the Taliban . In the 2005 elections , Angela Merkel became the first female chancellor. In 2009, the German government approved a €50 billion stimulus plan. Among the major German political projects of the early 21st century are the advancement of European integration , the energy transition ( Energiewende ) for

762-658: A centralised totalitarian state , withdrew from the League of Nations , and dramatically increased the country's rearmament . A government-sponsored programme for economic renewal focused on public works, the most famous of which was the Autobahn . In 1935, the regime withdrew from the Treaty of Versailles and introduced the Nuremberg Laws which targeted Jews and other minorities. Germany also reacquired control of

889-615: A framework laid out in the 1949 constitution known as the Grundgesetz (Basic Law). Amendments generally require a two-thirds majority of both the Bundestag and the Bundesrat ; the fundamental principles of the constitution, as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the separation of powers, the federal structure, and the rule of law , are valid in perpetuity. The president , currently Frank-Walter Steinmeier ,

1016-543: A global power in industrial, scientific and technological sectors, it is both the world's third-largest exporter and importer . As a developed country , it offers social security , a universal health care system , and tuition-free university education . Germany is a member of the United Nations , Council of Europe , NATO and OECD , and a founding member of the European Union, G7 and G20 . It has

1143-680: A joint responsibility of the international community. It was the world's second-biggest aid donor in 2019 after the United States. Germany's military, the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence), is organised into the Heer (Army and special forces KSK ), Marine (Navy), Luftwaffe (Air Force) and Cyber- und Informationsraum (Cyber and Information Domain Service) branches. In absolute terms, German military spending in 2023

1270-647: A jungle house, and a show arena. The new Canadian-themed area, Yukon Bay, opened in 2010. In 2010 the Hanover Zoo had over 1.6 million visitors. There is also the Sea Life Centre Hanover , which is the first tropical aquarium in Germany. Another point of interest is the Old Town . In the centre are the large Marktkirche (Church St. Georgii et Jacobi , preaching venue of the bishop of

1397-445: A population of about 3,850,000 and is the 8th largest metropolitan area in Germany. Hanover passed a population of 100,000 in 1875, and Hanover's population has grown since 1946, when Hanover became the capital of Lower Saxony state and it grew rapidly in 1950s and 60s due to West German Wirtschaftswunder . This also saw the growth of a large migrant population, drawn largely from Turkey , Greece and Italy . Hanover has also one of

SECTION 10

#1732775997886

1524-498: A population of about 540,000. It is the largest city in Lower Saxony and is the 13th largest city in Germany. The Hanover Region , a district that surrounds the city of Hanover and cities like Langenhagen , Garbsen and Laatzen has a population of about 1,160,000 and is the largest District (Landkreis) in Germany. Hanover metropolitan region , which includes also cities like Braunschweig , Hildesheim and Göttingen , has

1651-693: A pretext to stage a nationwide pogrom known as Kristallnacht (9 November 1938). On that day, the synagogue of Hanover, designed in 1870 by Edwin Oppler in neo-romantic style, was burnt by the Nazis. In September 1941, through the "Action Lauterbacher" plan, a ghettoisation of the remaining Hanoverian Jewish families began. Even before the Wannsee Conference , on 15 December 1941, the first Jews from Hanover were deported to Riga . A total of 2,400 people were deported, and very few survived. During

1778-547: A provisional capital, to emphasise its stance that the two-state solution was temporary. West Germany was established as a federal parliamentary republic with a " social market economy ". Starting in 1948 West Germany became a major recipient of reconstruction aid under the American Marshall Plan . Konrad Adenauer was elected the first federal chancellor of Germany in 1949. The country enjoyed prolonged economic growth ( Wirtschaftswunder ) beginning in

1905-613: A reminder of the persecution of the Jews in Hanover. After the war a large group of Orthodox Jewish survivors of the nearby Bergen-Belsen concentration camp settled in Hanover. There was also a camp for Sinti and Romani people (see Romani Holocaust ), and dozens of forced labour subcamps of the Stalag XI-B prisoner-of-war camp for Allied POWs. As an important railway and road junction and production centre, Hanover

2032-638: A state, the East German authorities eased border restrictions, but this actually led to an acceleration of the Wende reform process culminating in the Two Plus Four Treaty under which Germany regained full sovereignty. This permitted German reunification on 3 October 1990, with the accession of the five re-established states of the former GDR. The fall of the Wall in 1989 became a symbol of

2159-712: A symbol of the Cold War . Tensions between East and West Germany were reduced in the late 1960s by Chancellor Willy Brandt 's Ostpolitik . In 1989, Hungary decided to dismantle the Iron Curtain and open its border with Austria , causing the emigration of thousands of East Germans to West Germany via Hungary and Austria. This had devastating effects on the GDR, where regular mass demonstrations received increasing support. In an effort to help retain East Germany as

2286-658: Is Berlin and its main financial centre is Frankfurt ; the largest urban area is the Ruhr . Settlement in the territory of modern Germany began in the Lower Paleolithic , with various tribes inhabiting it from the Neolithic onward, chiefly the Celts . Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity . A region named Germania was documented before AD 100. In 962,

2413-547: Is a forest originally used for deer and other game for the king's table. The 282-metre-high (925 ft) Telemax communications tower, the tallest building in Lower Saxony and the highest television tower in northern Germany, lies in the district of Groß-Buchholz. Some other notable towers are the VW-Tower in the city centre and the old towers of the former middle-age defence belt: Döhrener Tower , Lister Tower and

2540-752: Is a forum for contemporary art. It features mostly exhibitions and projects of artists from Hanover. Germany – in Europe  (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (light green) Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe . It lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to

2667-466: Is a vice-president city of Mayors for Peace , an international mayoral organisation mobilising cities and citizens worldwide to abolish and eliminate nuclear weapons by 2020. Hanover has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) independent of the isotherm. Although the city is not on a coastal location, the predominant air masses are still from the ocean, unlike other places further east or south-central Germany. The Hanover weather station has recorded

SECTION 20

#1732775997886

2794-482: Is debated. Hanover was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen that became a comparatively large town in the 13th century and received town privileges in 1241 because of its position at a natural crossroads. As overland travel was relatively difficult, its position on the upper navigable reaches of the river helped it grow from increasing trade. It was connected to the Hanseatic League city of Bremen by

2921-648: Is devoted to agriculture, while 30% is forested and 14% is covered by settlements or infrastructure. Plants and animals include those generally common to Central Europe. According to the National Forest Inventory, beeches , oaks , and other deciduous trees constitute just over 40% of the forests; roughly 60% are conifers , particularly spruce and pine . There are many species of ferns , flowers , fungi , and mosses . Wild animals include roe deer , wild boar , mouflon (a subspecies of wild sheep), fox , badger , hare , and small numbers of

3048-866: Is headquarters for several Protestant organizations, including the World Communion of Reformed Churches , the Protestant Church in Germany , the Reformed Alliance , the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany , and the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church . In 2015, 31.1% of the population were Protestant and 13.4% were Roman Catholic . The majority 55.5% were irreligious or other religion. The Historisches Museum Hanover (Historic museum) describes

3175-608: Is largely autonomous in regard to its internal organisation. As of 2017 , Germany is divided into 401 districts ( Kreise ) at a municipal level; these consist of 294 rural districts and 107 urban districts . Germany has a civil law system based on Roman law with some references to Germanic law . The Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court) is the German Supreme Court responsible for constitutional matters, with power of judicial review . Germany's specialized supreme court system includes

3302-469: Is placed on film, video, contemporary music and architecture, room installments and presentations of contemporary paintings, sculptures and video art. The Kestner-Museum is located in the House of 5,000 windows . The museum is named after August Kestner and exhibits 6,000 years of applied art in four areas: Ancient cultures, ancient Egypt, applied art and a valuable collection of historic coins. The KUBUS

3429-653: Is the head of state and invested primarily with representative responsibilities and powers. He is elected by the Bundesversammlung (federal convention), an institution consisting of the members of the Bundestag and an equal number of state delegates. The second-highest official in the German order of precedence is the Bundestagspräsident ( President of the Bundestag ), who is elected by

3556-507: Is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony . Its 535,932 (2021) population makes it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in northern Germany after Berlin , Hamburg and Bremen . Hanover's urban area comprises the towns of Garbsen , Langenhagen and Laatzen and has a population of about 791,000 (2018). The Hanover Region has approximately 1.16 million inhabitants (2019) and

3683-755: Is the largest in the Hanover–Braunschweig–Göttingen–Wolfsburg Metropolitan Region , the 17th biggest metropolitan area by GDP in the European Union . Before it became the capital of Lower Saxony in 1946, Hanover was the capital of the Principality of Calenberg (1636–1692), the Electorate of Hanover (1692–1814), the Kingdom of Hanover (1814–1866), the Province of Hanover of the Kingdom of Prussia (1868–1918),

3810-488: Is vested in the parliament consisting of the Bundestag (Federal Diet) and Bundesrat (Federal Council), which together form the legislative body. The Bundestag is elected through direct elections using the mixed-member proportional representation system. The members of the Bundesrat represent and are appointed by the governments of the sixteen federated states. The German political system operates under

3937-463: The Gründerzeit period following the unification of Germany, Bismarck's foreign policy as chancellor of Germany secured Germany's position as a great nation by forging alliances and avoiding war. However, under Wilhelm II , Germany took an imperialistic course, leading to friction with neighbouring countries. A dual alliance was created with the multinational realm of Austria-Hungary ;

Johanna Narten - Misplaced Pages Continue

4064-491: The Bundestag and responsible for overseeing the daily sessions of the body. The third-highest official and the head of government is the chancellor, who is appointed by the Bundespräsident after being elected by the party or coalition with the most seats in the Bundestag . The chancellor, currently Olaf Scholz , is the head of government and exercises executive power through his Cabinet . Since 1949,

4191-889: The Allies de jure abolished the German state and partitioned Berlin and Germany's remaining territory into four occupation zones. The western sectors, controlled by France, the United Kingdom , and the United States , were merged on 23 May 1949 to form the Federal Republic of Germany ( German : Bundesrepublik Deutschland ); on 7 October 1949, the Soviet Zone became the German Democratic Republic (GDR) ( German : Deutsche Demokratische Republik ; DDR). They were informally known as West Germany and East Germany. East Germany selected East Berlin as its capital, while West Germany chose Bonn as

4318-1273: The Anzeiger Tower Block , the Administration Building of the NORD/LB , the Cupola Hall of the Congress Centre, the Lower Saxony Stock , the Ministry of Finance , the Garten Church , the Luther Church , the Gehry Tower (designed by the American architect Frank O. Gehry ), the specially designed Bus Stops , the Opera House , the Hanover Central Station , the Maschsee lake and

4445-625: The Battle of Britain in the same year. In 1941, German troops invaded Yugoslavia , Greece and the Soviet Union . By 1942, Germany and its allies controlled most of continental Europe and North Africa , but following the Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad , the Allied reconquest of North Africa and invasion of Italy in 1943, German forces suffered repeated military defeats. In 1944,

4572-413: The Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In 1814 the electorate became the Kingdom of Hanover . In 1837, the personal union of the United Kingdom and Hanover ended because William IV 's heir in the United Kingdom was female ( Queen Victoria ). Hanover could be inherited only by male heirs. Thus, Hanover passed to William IV's brother, Ernest Augustus , and remained a kingdom until 1866, when it was annexed by

4699-452: The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest . The outcome of this battle dissuaded the Romans from their ambition of conquering Germania and is thus considered one of the most important events in European history . By 100 AD, when Tacitus wrote Germania , Germanic tribes had settled along the Rhine and the Danube (the Limes Germanicus ), occupying most of modern Germany. However, Baden-Württemberg , southern Bavaria , southern Hesse and

4826-413: The Berchtesgaden National Park . In addition, there are 17 Biosphere Reserves , and 105 nature parks . More than 400 zoos and animal parks operate in Germany. The Berlin Zoo , which opened in 1844, is the oldest in Germany, and claims the most comprehensive collection of species in the world. Germany is a federal , parliamentary , representative democratic republic. Federal legislative power

4953-414: The Black Death of 1348–1350. The Golden Bull issued in 1356 provided the constitutional structure of the Empire and codified the election of the emperor by seven prince-electors . Johannes Gutenberg introduced moveable-type printing to Europe, laying the basis for the democratization of knowledge . In 1517, Martin Luther incited the Protestant Reformation and his translation of the Bible began

5080-538: The Carolingian Empire in 800; it was divided in 843 . The eastern successor kingdom of East Francia stretched from the Rhine in the west to the Elbe river in the east and from the North Sea to the Alps. Subsequently, the Holy Roman Empire emerged from it. The Ottonian rulers (919–1024) consolidated several major duchies . In 996, Gregory V became the first German Pope, appointed by his cousin Otto III , whom he shortly after crowned Holy Roman Emperor. The Holy Roman Empire absorbed northern Italy and Burgundy under

5207-471: The Celtic , Iranian , Baltic , and Slavic tribes. Southern Germany was inhabited by Celtic-speaking peoples, who belonged to the wider La Tène culture . They were later assimilated by the Germanic conquerors. Under Augustus , the Roman Empire began to invade lands inhabited by the Germanic tribes, creating a short-lived Roman province of Germania between the Rhine and Elbe rivers. In 9 AD, three Roman legions were defeated by Arminius in

Johanna Narten - Misplaced Pages Continue

5334-430: The Eurasian beaver . The blue cornflower was once a German national symbol . The 16 national parks in Germany include the Jasmund National Park , the Vorpommern Lagoon Area National Park , the Müritz National Park , the Wadden Sea National Parks , the Harz National Park , the Hainich National Park , the Black Forest National Park , the Saxon Switzerland National Park , the Bavarian Forest National Park and

5461-485: The Fall of Communism , the dissolution of the Soviet Union , German reunification and Die Wende ("the turning point"). United Germany was considered the enlarged continuation of West Germany so it retained its memberships in international organisations. Based on the Berlin/Bonn Act (1994), Berlin again became the capital of Germany, while Bonn obtained the unique status of a Bundesstadt (federal city) retaining some federal ministries. The relocation of

5588-406: The Hanover Medical School ( Medizinische Hochschule Hannover ), one of Germany's leading medical schools , with its university hospital Klinikum der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover , and the Leibniz University Hanover . The city is also home to International Neuroscience Institute . The Hanover Fairground , owing to numerous extensions, especially for the Expo 2000 , is the largest in

5715-415: The Hanoverian Army . However, George III did not recognise the Convention of the Elbe, which resulted in a great number of soldiers from Hanover eventually emigrating to Great Britain, where the King's German Legion was formed. It was only troops from Hanover and Brunswick who consistently opposed France throughout the Napoleonic Wars. The Legion later played an important role in the Peninsular War and

5842-445: The Holy Roman Emperor to the rank of Prince-Elector in 1692, which was confirmed by the Imperial Diet in 1708. Thus, the principality was upgraded to the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , colloquially known as the Electorate of Hanover after Calenberg's capital (see also House of Hanover ). Its electors later became monarchs of Great Britain (and from 1801 of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ). The first of them

5969-421: The Horse Tower . The 36 most significant sights of the city centre are connected by a 4.2-kilometre-long (3 mi) walking trail called the Red Thread that is literally painted onto the pavement with red paint. It starts at the Tourist Information Office and ends on the Ernst-August-Square, both in front of the central train station. There is also a guided sightseeing bus tour through the city. Hanover has

6096-464: The Ihme , in the south of the North German Plain . The city is a major crossing point of railway lines and motorways ( Autobahnen ), connecting European main lines in both the east–west ( Berlin – Ruhr area / Düsseldorf / Cologne ) and north–south (Hamburg– Frankfurt / Stuttgart / Munich ) directions. Hanover Airport lies north of the city, in Langenhagen , and is Germany's ninth-busiest airport. The city's most notable institutes of higher education are

6223-513: The Imperial Estates . The legal system initiated by a series of Imperial Reforms (approximately 1495–1555) provided for considerable local autonomy and a stronger Imperial Diet . The House of Habsburg held the imperial crown from 1438 until the death of Charles VI in 1740. Following the War of the Austrian Succession and the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle , Charles VI's daughter Maria Theresa ruled as empress consort when her husband, Francis I , became emperor. From 1740, dualism between

6350-401: The Kingdom of Germany formed the bulk of the Holy Roman Empire . During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation . Following the Napoleonic Wars and the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the German Confederation was formed in 1815. Formal unification of Germany into the modern nation-state commenced on 18 August 1866 with

6477-507: The Low Countries and Saxony or Thuringia . In the 14th century, the main churches of Hanover were built, as well as a city wall with three city gates. The beginning of industrialization in Germany led to trade in iron and silver from the northern Harz Mountains , which increased the city's importance. In 1636 George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg , ruler of the Brunswick-Lüneburg principality of Calenberg , moved his residence to Hanover. The Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg were elevated by

SECTION 50

#1732775997886

6604-467: The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact that divided Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence. On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland , beginning World War II in Europe ; Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September. In the spring of 1940, Germany conquered Denmark and Norway , the Netherlands , Belgium , Luxembourg , and France , forcing the French government to sign an armistice . The British repelled German air attacks in

6731-659: The Narten present . Her later work included monographs on Zoroastrian religion and religious texts, in particular the Yasna Haptaŋhāiti , which had been the subject of her Habilitation thesis, and (with Karl Hoffman) on the Avestan script , as well as numerous articles in the field of Indo-Iranian studies. A Festschrift was published in 2000 to honour Narten's 70th birthday, entitled Anusantatyai: Festschrift für Johanna Narten zum 70. Geburtstag . Hanover Hanover ( / ˈ h æ n oʊ v ər , - n ə v -/ HAN -oh-vər, HAN -ə-vər ; German : Hannover [haˈnoːfɐ] ; Low German : Hannober )

6858-399: The North German Confederation Treaty establishing the Prussia -led North German Confederation , which became the German Empire in 1871. After World War I and the German Revolution of 1918–1919 , the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic . The Nazi rise to power in 1933 led to the establishment of a totalitarian dictatorship , World War II , and the Holocaust . In 1949, after

6985-440: The Paradies and the Prairie Garden . The Georgengarten is an English landscape garden. The Leibniz Temple and the Georgen Palace are two points of interest there. The landmark of Hanover is the New Town Hall ( Neues Rathaus ). Inside the building are four scale models of the city. An elevator ascends to the observation deck at the top of the large dome along a variable angle of up to 17 degrees, thought to be unique in

7112-428: The Province of Hanover of the Free State of Prussia (1918–1947) and of the State of Hanover (1946). From 1714 to 1837 Hanover was by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , under their title of the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later described as the Elector of Hanover ). The city lies at the confluence of the River Leine and its tributary

7239-415: The Prussia during the Austro-Prussian war . Though Hanover was expected to defeat Prussia at the Battle of Langensalza in 1866, Prussia employed Moltke the Elder's Kesselschlacht order of battle to and destroyed the Hanoverian Army. Thereafter the city of Hanover became the capital of the Prussian Province of Hanover . In 1872, the first horse railway was inaugurated, and in 1893, an electric tram

7366-430: The Saarland in 1935, remilitarised the Rhineland in 1936, annexed Austria in 1938, annexed the Sudetenland in 1938 with the Munich Agreement , and in violation of the agreement occupied Czechoslovakia in March 1939. Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) saw the burning of synagogues, the destruction of Jewish businesses, and mass arrests of Jewish people. In August 1939, Hitler's government negotiated

7493-423: The Salian emperors (1024–1125), although the emperors lost power through the Investiture controversy . Under the Hohenstaufen emperors (1138–1254), German princes encouraged German settlement to the south and east ( Ostsiedlung ). Members of the Hanseatic League , mostly north German towns, prospered in the expansion of trade. The population declined starting with the Great Famine in 1315, followed by

7620-505: The Seven Years' War , the Battle of Hastenbeck was fought near the city on 26 July 1757. The French army defeated the Hanoverian Army of Observation , which led to the city's occupation as part of the Invasion of Hanover . It was recaptured by Anglo-German forces, led by Ferdinand of Brunswick , the following year. After Napoleon imposed the Convention of Artlenburg (treaty of the Elbe) on 5 July 1803, about 35,000 French soldiers occupied Hanover. The convention also required disbanding

7747-543: The Swabian Jura , including 42,000-year-old flutes which are the oldest musical instruments ever found, the 40,000-year-old Lion Man , and the 41,000-year-old Venus of Hohle Fels . The Nebra sky disk , created during the European Bronze Age , has been attributed to a German site. The Germanic peoples are thought to have emerged from the Jastorf culture during the Nordic Bronze Age or early Iron Age . From southern Scandinavia and northern Germany , they expanded south, east, and west, coming into contact with

SECTION 60

#1732775997886

7874-450: The Triple Alliance of 1882 included Italy. Britain, France and Russia also concluded alliances to protect against Habsburg interference with Russian interests in the Balkans or German interference against France. At the Berlin Conference in 1884, Germany claimed several colonies including German East Africa , German South West Africa , Togoland , and Kamerun . Later, Germany further expanded its colonial empire to include holdings in

8001-417: The inquisitorial Federal Court of Justice for civil and criminal cases, along with the Federal Labour Court , Federal Social Court , Federal Fiscal Court , and Federal Administrative Court for other matters. Criminal and private laws are codified on the national level in the Strafgesetzbuch and the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch respectively. The German penal system seeks the rehabilitation of

8128-428: The revolutions of 1848 in the German states , raising the German question. King Frederick William IV of Prussia was offered the title of emperor, but with a loss of power; he rejected the crown and the proposed constitution, a temporary setback for the movement. King William I appointed Otto von Bismarck as the Minister President of Prussia in 1862. Bismarck successfully concluded the war with Denmark in 1864 ;

8255-438: The third-highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites , 54 , of which 51 are cultural. The English word Germany derives from the Latin Germania , which came into use after Julius Caesar adopted it for the peoples east of the Rhine . The German term Deutschland , originally diutisciu land ('the German lands'), is derived from deutsch ( cf. Dutch ), descended from Old High German diutisc 'of

8382-411: The Austrian Habsburg monarchy and the Kingdom of Prussia dominated German history. In 1772, 1793, and 1795, Prussia and Austria, along with the Russian Empire , agreed to the Partitions of Poland . During the period of the French Revolutionary Wars , the Napoleonic era and the subsequent final meeting of the Imperial Diet , most of the Free Imperial Cities were annexed by dynastic territories;

8509-428: The Chair of Indo-European Studies at the university in 1952. In 1955, Narten moved with Hoffman to the University of Erlangen , where he supervised her PhD dissertation, " Entstehung und Ausbreitung der sigmatischen Aoriste in der vedischen Literatur" ["Development and distribution of the sigmatic aorists in Vedic literature "], awarded in 1961 and published in 1964. Narten's Habilitation thesis, completed in 1971,

8636-470: The Class for Philosophy and History of the Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities), alongside Regine Kahmann as the first woman admitted in the Class for Mathematics and the Natural Sciences. Narten's first book, based on her PhD dissertation, was published in 1964, and is described by Almut Hintze as a 'masterpiece' which 'has remained an essential tool for grammatical analysis in Vedic and Indo-Iranian Studies to

8763-467: The German (am) hohen Ufer , literally 'on the high (river) bank'. Traditionally, the English spelling is ⟨ Hanover ⟩ . However, ⟨ Hannover ⟩ , the German spelling with a double- ⟨n⟩ , has become more popular in English. Recent editions of Encyclopædia Britannica prefer the German spelling, and the local government uses the German spelling on their English webpages. The English pronunciation, with stress on

8890-437: The German Bundestag , though they have never been part of the federal government. In the 2017 German federal election , the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany gained enough votes to attain representation in the parliament for the first time. Germany is a federation and comprises sixteen constituent states which are collectively referred to as Länder . Each state ( Land ) has its own constitution, and

9017-416: The German Democratic Republic was a communist Eastern Bloc state and member of the Warsaw Pact . After the fall of the communist led-government in East Germany, German reunification saw the former East German states join the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990 . Germany has been described as a great power with a strong economy ; it has the largest economy in Europe by nominal GDP . As

9144-550: The Holocaust , the German government persecuted minorities , including interning them in concentration and death camps across Europe. The regime systematically murdered 6 million Jews, at least 130,000 Romani , 275,000 disabled , thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses , thousands of homosexuals , and hundreds of thousands of political and religious opponents . Nazi policies in German-occupied countries resulted in

9271-625: The Leine River and was situated near the southern edge of the wide North German Plain and northwest of the Harz mountains, so east–west traffic such as mule trains passed through it. Hanover was thus a gateway to the Rhine , Ruhr and Saar river valleys, and their industrial areas which grew up to the southwest and the plains regions to the east and north for overland traffic skirting the Harz between

9398-786: The Lutheran Landeskirche Hanovers ), and the 15th century Old Town Hall , heavily damaged by Allied bombing in 1943, and reconstructed after World War II. Nearby are the Leibniz House , the Nolte House , and the Beguine Tower . The Kreuz-Church-Quarter around the Kreuz Church contains many little lanes. Nearby is the old royal sports hall, now called the Ballhof theatre. On the edge of

9525-832: The Old Town are the Market Hall , the Leine Palace , and the ruin of the Aegidien Church which is now a monument to the victims of war and violence. Through the Marstall Gate the bank of the river Leine can be reached; the Nanas of Niki de Saint Phalle are there. They are part of the Sculpture Mile , which starts at Trammplatz , runs along the river bank, crosses Königsworther Square , and ends at

9652-630: The Pacific and China. The colonial government in South West Africa (present-day Namibia ), from 1904 to 1907, carried out the annihilation of the local Herero and Namaqua peoples as punishment for an uprising; this was the 20th century's first genocide . The assassination of Austria's crown prince on 28 June 1914 provided the pretext for Austria-Hungary to attack Serbia and trigger World War I . After four years of warfare, in which approximately two million German soldiers were killed,

9779-684: The Pacific. On 11 August 1919, President Friedrich Ebert signed the democratic Weimar Constitution . In the subsequent struggle for power, communists seized power in Bavaria , but conservative elements elsewhere attempted to overthrow the Republic in the Kapp Putsch . Street fighting in the major industrial centres, the occupation of the Ruhr by Belgian and French troops, and a period of hyperinflation followed. A debt restructuring plan and

9906-599: The Reichstag after a special election in 1932 and Hindenburg appointed Hitler as chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933. After the Reichstag fire , a decree abrogated basic civil rights and the first Nazi concentration camp opened. On 23 March 1933, the Enabling Act gave Hitler unrestricted legislative power, overriding the constitution, and marked the beginning of Nazi Germany. His government established

10033-672: The Soviets pushed into Eastern Europe ; the Western allies landed in France and entered Germany despite a final German counteroffensive . Following Hitler's suicide during the Battle of Berlin , Germany signed the surrender document on 8 May 1945, ending World War II in Europe and Nazi Germany. Following the end of the war, surviving Nazi officials were tried for war crimes at the Nuremberg trials . In what later became known as

10160-488: The United Kingdom, were concurrently also Electoral Princes of Hanover. During the time of the personal union of the crowns of the United Kingdom and Hanover (1714–1837), the monarchs rarely visited the city. In fact during the reigns of the last three joint rulers (1760–1837), there was only one short visit, by George IV in 1821. From 1816 to 1837, Viceroy Adolphus represented the monarch in Hanover. During

10287-588: The Wilhelm-Raabe-Schule, graduating in 1950. Narten originally learned Greek and Hebrew in order to study theology at university, but ultimately studied classical philology instead. In 1951 she enrolled at the University of Saarland in 1951, first studying with Ernst Zinn and then switching to studying Indo-European linguistics , in particular Indo-Iranian linguistics (especially Vedic Sanskrit and Avestan ), with Karl Hoffmann , who became

10414-521: The border with thousands of other Polish-Jewish deportees, fed only intermittently by the Polish Red Cross and Jewish welfare organisations. The Grynszpans' son Herschel Grynszpan was in Paris at the time. When he learned of what was happening, he drove to the German embassy in Paris and shot the German diplomat Eduard Ernst vom Rath , who died shortly afterwards. The Nazis took this act as

10541-476: The city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 12 September 2021, and the results were as follows: There are around 5,500 buildings of major historic value within city limits. One of Hanover's most grandiose sights is the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen . Its Great Garden is an important European Baroque garden . The palace itself was largely destroyed by Allied bombing, but

10668-632: The city forest Eilenriede , which is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. For recreation, Hanover has 40 parks, forests and gardens, a couple of lakes, two rivers and a canal. The historic Leibniz Letters , which can be viewed in the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Library , have been on UNESCO 's Memory of the World Register since 2007. Outside the city centre is the Hanover Fairground , which

10795-469: The city on 10 April 1945. Hanover was in the British zone of occupation of Germany and became part of the new state (Land) of Lower Saxony in 1946. In 1947, Hanover established its relationship with Bristol, England in exchanges of goods, students and music. This would link the two cities to Sister Cities International as one of the models for establishing these types of programs. Today Hanover

10922-530: The communist-controlled Socialist Unity Party of Germany , supported by the Stasi , an immense secret service. While East German propaganda was based on the benefits of the GDR's social programmes and the alleged threat of a West German invasion, many of its citizens looked to the West for freedom and prosperity. The Berlin Wall , built in 1961, prevented East German citizens from escaping to West Germany, becoming

11049-469: The creation of a new currency in 1924 ushered in the Golden Twenties , an era of artistic innovation and liberal cultural life. The worldwide Great Depression hit Germany in 1929. Chancellor Heinrich Brüning 's government pursued a policy of fiscal austerity and deflation which caused unemployment of nearly 30% by 1932. The Nazi Party led by Adolf Hitler became the largest party in

11176-472: The creation of a more unified European political, economic and security apparatus. The governments of Germany and the United States are close political allies . Cultural ties and economic interests have crafted a bond between the two countries resulting in Atlanticism . After 1990, Germany and Russia worked together to establish a "strategic partnership" in which energy development became one of

11303-536: The criminal and the protection of the public. With the exceptions of petty crimes, tried by a single professional judge, and of serious political crimes, all charges are adjudicated by mixed tribunals where lay judges ( Schöffen ) and professional judges preside together. As of 2016, Germany's murder rate stood at a low of 1.18 murders per 100,000. In 2018, the overall crime rate fell to its lowest since 1992. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Germany since 2017, and LGBT rights are generally protected in

11430-461: The deaths of an estimated 2.7 million Poles , 1.3 million Ukrainians , 1 million Belarusians and 3.5 million Soviet prisoners of war . German military casualties have been estimated at 5.3 million, and around 900,000 German civilians died. Around 12 million ethnic Germans were expelled from across Eastern Europe, and Germany lost roughly one-quarter of its pre-war territory. After Nazi Germany surrendered,

11557-641: The early 1950s. West Germany joined NATO in 1955 and was a founding member of the European Economic Community . On 1 January 1957, the Saarland joined West Germany. East Germany was an Eastern Bloc state under political and military control by the Soviet Union via occupation forces and the Warsaw Pact . Although East Germany claimed to be a democracy, political power was exercised solely by leading members ( Politbüro ) of

11684-712: The ecclesiastical territories were secularised and annexed. In 1806 the Imperium was dissolved; France, Russia, Prussia, and the Habsburgs (Austria) competed for hegemony in the German states during the Napoleonic Wars . Following the fall of Napoleon , the Congress of Vienna founded the German Confederation, a loose league of 39 sovereign states . The appointment of the emperor of Austria as

11811-1075: The entrance of the Georgengarten . Near the Old Town is the district of Calenberger Neustadt where the Catholic St. Clement's Basilica , the Reformed Church and the Lutheran Neustädter Hof- und Stadtkirche St. Johannis stand. Some other popular sights are the Waterloo Column , the Laves House , the Wangenheim Palace , the Lower Saxony State Archives , the Hanover Playhouse , the Kröpcke Clock ,

11938-714: The fairground are the Hermes Tower (88.8 metres or 291 feet high) and the EXPO Roof , the largest wooden roof in the world. In the district of Anderten is the European Cheese Centre , termed a "Cheese Experience Centre." Another tourist sight in Anderten is the Hindenburg Lock , which was the biggest lock in Europe when it was constructed in 1928. The Tiergarten in the district of Kirchrode

12065-577: The first syllable, is applied to both the German and English spellings, which is different from German pronunciation, with stress on the second syllable and a long second vowel. The traditional English spelling is still used in historical contexts, especially when referring to the British House of Hanover . Hanover was founded in medieval times on the east bank of the Leine River. Its original name Honovere may mean 'high river bank', but that

12192-425: The following extreme values: The city of Hanover is divided into 13 boroughs ( Stadtbezirke ) and 53 quarters ( Stadtteile ). A selection of the 53 quarters: The current mayor of Hanover is Belit Onay of Alliance 90/The Greens , elected in 2019. The most recent mayoral election was held on 17 October 2019, with a runoff held on 10 November, and the results were as follows: The Hanover city council governs

12319-617: The government was completed in 1999, and modernisation of the East German economy was scheduled to last until 2019. Since reunification, Germany has taken a more active role in the European Union , signing the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 and the Lisbon Treaty in 2007, and co-founding the eurozone . Germany sent a peacekeeping force to secure stability in the Balkans and sent German troops to Afghanistan as part of

12446-476: The history of Hanover, from the medieval settlement "Honovere" to the city of today. The museum focuses on the period from 1714 to 1834 when Hanover had a strong relationship with the British royal family of that period. With more than 4,000 members, the Kestnergesellschaft is the largest art society in Germany. The museum hosts exhibitions from classical modernist art to contemporary art. Emphasis

12573-585: The largest Vietnamese communities in former West Germany due to its close distance to former East Germany . The Viên Giác pagoda in Mittelfeld, southern district of Hanover is the largest Vietnamese pagoda in Germany and one of the largest in Europe. Hanover is one of the liveable cities due to its good location and good population size. It is the fifth-largest city in the Low German dialect area after Hamburg, Dortmund , Essen and Bremen. Hanover

12700-477: The most important factors. As a result of the cooperation, Germany imported most of its natural gas and crude oil from Russia. Germany's development policy functions as a distinct sector within its foreign policy framework. It is formulated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and carried out by the implementing organisations. The German government sees development policy as

12827-832: The most varied collection of orchids in Europe. Some points of interest are the Tropical House , the Cactus House , the Canary House and the Orchid House , and free-flying birds and butterflies. Near the entrance to the Berggarten is the historic Library Pavillon . The Mausoleum of the Guelphs is also in the Berggarten. Like the Great Garden, the Berggarten also consists of several parts, for example

12954-660: The nation. Germany has a network of 227 diplomatic missions abroad and maintains relations with more than 190 countries. Germany is a member of NATO , the OECD , the G7 , the G20 , the World Bank and the IMF . It has played an influential role in the European Union since its inception and has maintained a strong alliance with France and all neighbouring countries since 1990. Germany promotes

13081-660: The north, Poland and Czechia to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and France , Luxembourg , Belgium , and the Netherlands to the west. Germany is also bordered by the North Sea and, at the north-northeast, by the Baltic Sea. German territory covers 357,596 km (138,069 sq mi). Elevation ranges from the mountains of the Alps (highest point: the Zugspitze at 2,963 metres or 9,721 feet) in

13208-613: The party system has been dominated by the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party of Germany . So far every chancellor has been a member of one of these parties. However, the smaller liberal Free Democratic Party and the Alliance 90/The Greens have also been junior partners in coalition governments . Since 2007, the democratic socialist party The Left has been a staple in

13335-460: The people' (from diot or diota 'people'), originally used to distinguish the language of the common people from Latin and its Romance descendants . This in turn descends from Proto-Germanic * þiudiskaz 'of the people' (see also the Latinised form Theodiscus ), derived from * þeudō , descended from Proto-Indo-European * tewtéh₂- 'people', from which

13462-477: The permanent president reflected the Congress's rejection of Prussia 's rising influence. Disagreement within restoration politics partly led to the rise of liberal movements, followed by new measures of repression by Austrian statesman Klemens von Metternich . The Zollverein , a tariff union, furthered economic unity. In light of revolutionary movements in Europe , intellectuals and commoners started

13589-399: The present day'. Her 1968 article "On the 'proterodynamic' root present' ("Zum 'proterodynamischen' Wurzelpräsens"), in which she showed the existence of a class of verbs that feature a lengthened e-grade in the present, is described by Hintze as a "seminal" article, due to which "her name has become a sort of hallmark far beyond the remit of Indo-Iranian Studies": this verb-form is now known as

13716-659: The south to the shores of the North Sea ( Nordsee ) in the northwest and the Baltic Sea ( Ostsee ) in the northeast. The forested uplands of central Germany and the lowlands of northern Germany (lowest point: in the municipality Neuendorf-Sachsenbande , Wilstermarsch at 3.54 metres or 11.6 feet below sea level ) are traversed by such major rivers as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe. Significant natural resources include iron ore, coal, potash , timber, lignite , uranium , copper, natural gas, salt, and nickel. Most of Germany has

13843-455: The south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 82 million in an area of 357,596 km (138,069 sq mi), making it the most populous member state of the European Union . It borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and France , Luxembourg , Belgium , and the Netherlands to the west. The nation's capital and most populous city

13970-756: The southeast regions have more extreme temperatures. From February 2019 – 2020, average monthly temperatures in Germany ranged from a low of 3.3 °C (37.9 °F) in January 2020 to a high of 19.8 °C (67.6 °F) in June 2019. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 30 litres per square metre in February and April 2019 to 125 litres per square metre in February 2020. Average monthly hours of sunshine ranged from 45 in November 2019 to 300 in June 2019. The territory of Germany can be divided into five terrestrial ecoregions : Atlantic mixed forests , Baltic mixed forests , Central European mixed forests , Western European broadleaf forests , and Alps conifer and mixed forests . As of 2016 , 51% of Germany's land area

14097-449: The standardization of the language; the 1555 Peace of Augsburg tolerated the "Evangelical" faith ( Lutheranism ), but also decreed that the faith of the prince was to be the faith of his subjects ( cuius regio, eius religio ). From the Cologne War through the Thirty Years' Wars (1618–1648), religious conflict devastated German lands and significantly reduced the population. The Peace of Westphalia ended religious warfare among

14224-429: The subsequent decisive Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 enabled him to create the North German Confederation which excluded Austria . After the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian War , the German princes proclaimed the founding of the German Empire in 1871. Prussia was the dominant constituent state of the new empire; the King of Prussia ruled as its Kaiser, and Berlin became its capital. In

14351-543: The tank factory M.N.H. Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen (Badenstedt). Residential areas were also targeted, and more than 6,000 civilians were killed by the Allied bombing raids. More than 90% of the city centre was destroyed in a total of 88 bombing raids. After the war, the Aegidienkirche was not rebuilt and its ruins were left as a war memorial. Today around 25 % of the city consists of buildings from before 1950. The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Hanover in April 1945. The US 84th Infantry Division captured

14478-406: The war and a period of Allied occupation , Germany was organized into two separate polities with limited sovereignty: the Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany , and the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany . Berlin continued its de jure Four Power status . The Federal Republic of Germany was a founding member of the European Economic Community and the European Union , while

14605-400: The war seven concentration camps were constructed in Hanover, in which many Jews were confined, but also Polish , French and Russian women. Of the approximately 4,800 Jews who had lived in Hanover in 1938, fewer than 100 were still in the city when troops of the United States Army arrived on 10 April 1945 to occupy Hanover at the end of the war. Today, a memorial at the Opera Square is

14732-468: The western Rhineland had been incorporated into Roman provinces . Around 260, Germanic peoples broke into Roman-controlled lands. After the invasion of the Huns in 375, and with the decline of Rome from 395, Germanic tribes moved farther southwest: the Franks established the Frankish Kingdom and pushed east to subjugate Saxony and Bavaria . Areas of what is today eastern Germany were inhabited by Western Slavic tribes. Charlemagne founded

14859-439: The word Teutons also originates. Pre-human ancestors, the Danuvius guggenmosi , who were present in Germany over 11 million years ago, are theorized to be among the earliest ones to walk on two legs. Ancient humans were present in Germany at least 600,000 years ago. The first non-modern human fossil (the Neanderthal ) was discovered in the Neander Valley . Similarly dated evidence of modern humans has been found in

14986-404: The world. The Hanover Zoo received the Park Scout Award for the fourth year running in 2009–10, placing it among the best zoos in Germany. The zoo consists of several theme areas: Sambesi, Meyers Farm, Gorilla-Mountain, Jungle-Palace, and Mullewapp. Some smaller areas are Australia, the wooded area for wolves, and the so-called swimming area with many seabirds. There is also a tropical house,

15113-451: The world. It provides 496,000 square metres (5.34 million square feet) of covered indoor space, 58,000 square metres (620 thousand square feet) of open-air space, 27 halls and pavilions. Many of the Exhibition Centre's halls are architectural highlights. Furthermore, it offers the Convention Center with its 35 function rooms, glassed-in areas between halls, grassy park-like recreation zones and its own heliport. Two important sights on

15240-413: The world. Hanover hosts annual commercial trade fairs such as the Hanover Fair and up to 2018 the CeBIT . The IAA Commercial Vehicles show takes place every two years. It is the world's leading trade show for transport, logistics and mobility. Every year Hanover hosts the Schützenfest Hanover , the world's largest marksmen's festival, and the Oktoberfest Hanover . The name of the city may derive from

15367-473: Was George I Louis , who acceded to the British throne in 1714. The last British monarch who reigned in Hanover was William IV . Semi-Salic law , which required succession by the male line if possible, forbade the accession of Queen Victoria in Hanover. As a male-line descendant of George I, Queen Victoria was herself a member of the House of Hanover. Her descendants, however, bore her husband's titular name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha . Three kings of Great Britain, or

15494-407: Was a major target for strategic bombing during World War II , including the Oil Campaign . Targets included the AFA ( Stöcken ), the Deurag-Nerag refinery ( Misburg ), the Continental plants ( Vahrenwald and Limmer ), the United light metal works (VLW) in Ricklingen and Laatzen (today Hanover fairground ), the Hanover/Limmer rubber reclamation plant , the Hanomag factory ( Linden ) and

15621-399: Was a philological and linguistic study of the Zoroastrian sacred text Yasna Haptaŋhāiti . She was appointed to a teaching position at the University of Erlangen in 1973, followed by an appointment in 1978 to a personal chair as Professor of Indo-European and Indo-Iranian Linguistics, which she held until she retired in 1993. In 1995, she became the first woman admitted as a full member of

15748-445: Was installed. A local newspaper, the Hanoverscher Kurier , was published in Hanover at this time. After 1937 the lord mayor and the state commissioners of Hanover were members of the NSDAP (Nazi party). A large Jewish population then existed in Hanover. In October 1938, 484 Hanoverian Jews of Polish origin were expelled to Poland, including the Grynszpan family . However, Poland refused to accept them, leaving them stranded at

15875-419: Was reconstructed and reopened in 2013. Among its points of interest is the Grotto, with the interior designed by French artist Niki de Saint Phalle . The Great Garden consists of several parts and features Europe's tallest garden fountain. The historic Garden Theatre has hosted the musicals of the German rock musician Heinz Rudolf Kunze . Also at Herrenhausen, the Berggarten is a botanical garden with

16002-444: Was the seventh-highest in the world . In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that German military expenditure would be increased past the NATO target of 2%, along with a one-time 2022 infusion of 100 billion euros, representing almost double the 53 billion euro military budget for 2021. In 2023, military spending according to NATO criteria amounted to $ 73.1 billion, or 1.64% of

16129-417: Was the site of EXPO 2000 fair. Some points of interest are the Planet M. , the former German Pavillon , some nations' vacant pavilions, the Expowale , the EXPO-Plaza and the EXPO-Gardens (Parc Agricole, EXPO-Park South and the Gardens of change). The fairground can be reached by the Exponale , one of the largest pedestrian bridges in Europe. The Hanover Fairground is the largest exhibition centre in

#885114