Hannover - Kreuzkirche

With more than 500.000 inhabitants Hannover is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony.

Hannover was founded in medieval times on the east bank of the River Leine. It was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen. It became a comparatively large town in the 13th century, receiving town privileges in 1241, owing to its position at a natural crossroads. It was connected to the Hanseatic League city of Bremen by the Leine and was situated north-west of the Harz mountains so that east-west traffic passed through it.

In the 14th century the main churches of Hanover were built, as well as a city wall with three city gates. Between 1714 and 1837 three kings of Great Britain were concurrently also Electoral Princes of Hanover.

As an important railway and road junction and production centre, Hannover was a major target for strategic bombing during World War II. More than 90% of the city centre was destroyed in a total of 88 bombing raids. So today Hannover lacks it´s medieval heart. Only a few buildings got rebuilt and restored.

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The parish of the Kreuzkirche was in 1284 separated from the Marktkirche parish. The church, dedicated to St. Spiritus et Crucis, was consecrated in 1333

After the Reformation in 1533, the church became Lutheran and got largely altered to adjust to the different needs of a Protestant congregation.

The spire of the steeple was damaged by a storm in 1630, and was replaced in Baroque style in 1652.

In WWII, air raids in 1943 destroyed the town centre, including the Kreuzkirche. It was rebuilt from 1959 to 1961 in a simplified form.

The neighbourhood "Kreuzkirchenviertel" was also bombed down, but got rebuilt as well.