Statues - Hither & Thither

Description

The New Town Hall was built from 1901-1913 in the style of late historism after designs by the architect Hermann Eggert.

In the northern façade there are several reliefs and sculptures.

1. The entrance portal
   1. The entrance portal is flanked by two ionic colums with statues representing Germania (left) and Hannovera (right), sculpted by August Waterbeck.
   2. Stone lions walk 'through' the base of both colums.

      Germania

      Hannovera

   3. At the top of the portal is the coat of arms of the city of Hannover. Below 'A.D. 1910'.
   4. At the lower part of the gable is the Guelphic lion ('welfischer Löwe) and the Saxon Steed ('Sachsenross').

      welfischer Löwe

      Sachsenross

   5. St. George, patron of Hannover, is above the door.
      
      St. George

2. History frieze Between the windows of the first and second flour is a frieze in nine parts, showing important events from the Hannover's city history. At the both outer ends are two reliefs with children, and around the the turrets each has four reliefs of professions and crafts.
   
   East wing:
   1. c. 1150: A girl from the vicus 'Honovere' praying at the tomb of Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim, the first mentioning of the name Hannover from the Miracula Sancti Bernwardi. At the sides a cross and a .. (by Werner Hantelmann).
      
      

   2. 1241: The Guelph Duke Otto the Child (Otto das Kind) (Wikipedia) confirms and expands the city rights of Hannover. On the sides scales and a sword with a chain (by Werner Hantelmann).
      
      

   3. 1371: Hannover citizen take the Castle Lauenrode (by Werner Hantelmann).
      
      

   4. 1636: Georg, Herzog von Braunschweig und Lüneburg (Wikipedia) signs the so-called Residence Declaration, making Hannover the Residence.
      
      

   5. 1837: Entry of Ernst August Duke of Cumberland (Wikipedia). as King in Hannover after the end of the personal union with England. He was welcomed by 'Stadtdirektor' Wilhelm Rumann (Wikipedia) (by August Waterbeck).
      
      
      
      West wing:
   6. empty space, should show the opening of the Town Hall by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1913. It stayed unfinished because of violent disputes about the correct representation of his majesty, and then World War I and the Weimar Republik
   7. 1700: Princess Sophie von Hannover (Sophia of Hanover) (Wikipedia) honours Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (Wikipedia) with a laurel wreath (by Karl Gundelach).
      
      

   8. 1815: Major Georg Freiherr von Baring (Wikipedia) defended La Haye Sainte in the Battle of Waterloo against Napoleon's troops through the Royal German Legion. At the sides soldiers (by Werner Hantelmann).
      
      

   9. 1774: Mayor Christian Ulrich Grupen explains the City Council the extension of the city with the Aegidienneustadt (Aegidius New Town). At the sides, old women and old men (by Peter Schumacher).
      
      

   10. 1525: Duke Ernst I 'the Confessor' (Wikipedia) receives the Protestant Supper, referring to the forthcoming Reformation and commitment to Lutheranism in 1533. At the sides the bible 'Bibel D. Martini Luther' and the cross with a snake (by Peter Schumacher).
       
       

3. Reliefs around the turrets flanking the entrance portal:

   The east turret:

   1. A farmer with his ox and a girl with a siccle.
   2. A soldier with a rose flag and a dog.

   3. A judge breaks a staff over the sinner, while the raven waits for his meal.
   4. A weigher.

      The west turret:

   5. A gentleman takes off his hat for a lady, after Adolph Freiherr von Knigge, Über den Umgang mit Menschen (1788)(About etiquette).
   6. A blacksmith.

   7. A brewer.
   8. Parrot shooting at the 'Schützenfest' (Shooting festival), symbolized by the parrot tree, referring to the medieval archers who shot with the crossbow on the Neustädter Berge.

4. Two reliefs at the outer sections:
   1. Stork, martens (?) 'wild' boy, a little girl, martens and a boar.
      
      

   2. Jester, dog, boy with lute, little girl, deer and man with crossbow.
      
      

5. Reliefs in the tympana of the turret entrances:

Annotation

Sculptors

• Karl Gundelach (Linden, Hannover 1856 - Hannover 1920), German sculptor from München (Wikipedia).
  
• Werner Hantelmann (Budapest 1871 - Hannover 1939), German sculptor and painter (Wikipedia).
  
• Peter Schumacher, German sculptor.
  
• August Waterbeck (Amelsbüren 1875 - Hannover 1947), German sculptor from Hildesheim (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

• Wolfgang Steinweg, Das Rathaus in Hannover von der Kaiserzeit bis in die Gegenwart (Hannover: Schlütersche, 1988).

Tags

Locatie (N 52°22'3" - E 9°44'15") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

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