Vintage map - Hanover 1949

Flemmings Verlag map of Hanover (Hannover) in 1949 : the capital of the new state of Lower Saxony, Lake Maschsee, the Hanover Fair and postwar reconstruction.

This map shows Hanover, Landeshauptstadt Hannover, in 1949. The city had entered a crucial phase in its history: following the Second World War and the end of the Third Reich, Hanover became part of the British occupation zone and, in 1946, the capital (Landeshauptstadt) of the newly established state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen). In 1949, the year the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) was founded, the city had a population of around 400,000 and stood as a major symbol of the “economic miracle” (Wirtschaftswunder) and Germany’s reconstruction.

1949 was a watershed year for Hanover. Heavily damaged by Allied bombing, the metropolis embarked on an ambitious urban development plan devised by chief architect Rudolf Hillebrecht, transforming the historic city into a modern, car-oriented one. At the same time, the establishment of the Hanover Fair (Hannover Messe) in Laatzen in 1947 revived Germany’s industrial economy and put the city on the international stage.

Places and districts shown:

• Lake Maschsee and the south of the city: the large artificial Maschsee, created in the 1930s south of the city center, is clearly visible at the heart of the urban landscape, bordered by parks and promenades.

• The Eilenriede urban forest and the Tiergarten: the vast Eilenriede forest stretches eastward, with the Tiergarten and Seelhorst Forest farther beyond, providing extensive wooded areas preserved at the edge of the city.

• The historic gardens of Herrenhausen: to the northwest, the large complex of historic parks (Großer Garten, Georgengarten and Berggarten) is shown in detail near the course of the Leine.

• The rail hub and central station: the rail network radiates from the Hauptbahnhof through the city center, connecting the city to major routes in the occupation zone and to Germany’s major cities.

• Linden and the industrial districts: to the west, the district of Linden retains its role as a major industrial hub, with its many sidings, freight stations and factories.

• Major routes and the transport network: the detailed legend identifies the routes of the tramway (Straßenbahn), major through roads (Durchgangsstraße), motorways (Autobahn) and municipal boundaries (Stadtgrenze).

• Outlying districts: the map covers a wide area, including List, Vahrenwald and Hainholz to the north, Kleefeld, Kirchrode and Bemerode to the east, and Ricklingen, Oberricklingen and Linden to the south and west.

Map reference: this map, titled “Landeshauptstadt Hannover,” was published at a scale of 1:16,000 by Flemmings Verlag / Kartographisches Institut. Unlike prewar three-dimensional maps, this map adopts a clean, functional postwar cartographic style, with a clear distinction between built-up areas (shaded pink-orange), highlighted road and rail networks, and wooded areas in light green. An alphanumeric grid (A to P and 1 to 12) surrounds the map to help locate each place precisely.

In brief: for anyone interested in the history of Lower Saxony, postwar urban planning, the development of Lake Maschsee or the origins of the Hanover Fair, this map offers a valuable record of the city in 1949, as the FRG was taking shape.

What area does this map of Hanover cover? It covers the capital of Lower Saxony and its surrounding districts, from Herrenhausen Gardens in the northwest to Lake Maschsee in the south, as well as the industrial district of Linden in the west and the forests of Eilenriede, Tiergarten and Seelhorst in the east.

What year was this map published? This map dates from 1949. It was published by Flemmings Verlag (Kartographisches Institut).

Reproduction of the “Landeshauptstadt Hannover” map, published in 1949 by Flemmings Verlag in Hamburg/Glogau.

Printed on 200 g/m² textured fine art paper. Landscape orientation, standard sizes 50x70 and 70x100: easy to frame.