Hanover museums and galleries will keep you entertained and stimulated during your visit here. Below are my top favorites…
Hanover Museums
Historisches Museum
Everything you want to know about the long and interesting history of Hanover can be found in the Historical Museum. This Hanover museum (Burgstraße) covers the time from its early settlement in medieval times through the modern age.
Particular emphasis is placed on the period of 1714 to 1834, when the Hanoverian Dynasty ruled the country of Great Britain under the likes of Queen Victoria and George III.
Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum (Lower Saxony State Museum)
This Hanover museum, the Lower Saxony State Museum (Willy-Brandt-Allee 5), is also its largest. It is divided into several sections.
The Natural History wing showcases geology and zoology and has a lovely vivarium with a variety of species. The State Gallery focuses on European art through the centuries. There’s an Archaeology Department with specimens from the region’s ancient history. And finally, a Folklore wing displays information about cultures from all around the world.
Be sure to bring your curiosity with you at this immense educational complex.
Museum August Kestner
The Museum August Kestner (Trammplatz 3) offers another great learning experience. Named after August Kestner, a well-known German art collector and diplomat, this museum was built in 1889 with many works from his collection.
Some of the highlights include the exhibits on Egyptian art, including the always-popular mummies and tomb reliefs.
Hanover Galleries
Sprengel Museum Hannover
This Hanover museum, the Sprengel, (Kurt-Schwitters-Platz 1) is a wonderful collection of modern, 20th century art. Fans of German Expressionism will certainly want to check this one out, with its emphasis on that style. It also is a good showcase for French Cubism, the work of Kurt Schwitters and Pablo Picasso.
Kunstverein Hannover (Art Society Hannover)
The Art Society Hannover (Sophienstraße 2) has been around since 1832 as one of Germany’s first art societies. You can find it in the Künstlerhaus, or Artist’s House. Every year there are new thematic exhibits to keep even the art critics interested.
Kestnergesellschaft
The Kestnergesellschaft (Goseriede 11) focuses on modern art in the international world. It was founded in the midst of the First Wolrd War in 1916, when citizens wanted to attract artists and their work to the city.
The Kestnergesellschaft was closed down by the Nazis during the 1930s but reopened after the end of the Second Word War. Today it is a thriving art center that has featured such famous artists as Kandinsky, El Lissitzky, Miró and Warhol.
