Hanover

Hanover (German: Hannover [haˈnoːfɐ]), on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. It is also the capital of the surrounding Hanover district and was the capital of the Hanover region until Lower Saxony's regions were disbanded at the beginning of 2005.

History

The town was founded in medieval times on the bank of the river Leine (the original name Honovere may be translated as "high bank"). It was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen, which became a comparatively large town in the 13th century. In the 14th century the main churches of Hanover were built, as well as a city wall with three town gates to secure the city.

In 1636 the Duke of Calenberg decided to move his residence to Hanover. His duchy was afterwards known as the Duchy of Hanover (see: House of Hanover). His descendants would later become kings of Great Britain; the first of them was George I, who ascended to the British throne in 1714. Three kings of Great Britain were at the same time Electoral Princes of Hanover.

During the Seven Years' War on July 26, 1757 the Battle of Hastenbeck took place. The French army defeated the Hanoverian Army of Observation, leading to the occupation of Hanover.

After Napoleon imposed the Convention of Artlenburg (Convention of the Elbe) on July 5, 1803 about 30,000 French soldiers occupied Hanover. The convention also meant the disbanding of the army of Hanover. George III did not recognize the Convention of the Elbe and made an effort to recruit foreign troops. As a result a great number of soldiers of Hanover eventually emigrated to England leading to the King's German Legion which later played an important role in the Battle of Waterloo. At the Congress of Vienna in 1814 George III elevated the electorate to the Kingdom of Hanover. The capital town Hanover expanded to the western bank of the Leine and grew considerably.

In 1837 the personal union of the United Kingdom and Hanover ended as William IV's heir in the United Kingdom was female, and Hanover could be inherited only by males. Hanover continued as a kingdom until 1866, when it was annexed by Prussia. After the annexation, the people of Hanover opposed the Prussian regime. Nevertheless, the growth of Hanover continued until World War II, when two thirds of the town was bombed to ruins. After the war, Hanover was in the British zone of occupation of Germany, and later became famous for hosting commercial expositions such as the CeBIT and the Hanover Fair. In 2000, Hanover hosted the Expo 2000.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanover