Art and history: On a discovery tour through Hanover and Hildesheim!

Art and history: On a discovery tour through Hanover and Hildesheim!

A special journey is coming! The Kunstkreis 84 Riedlingen, led by Barbara Bulander and Waltraut Jerger, has organized its annual trip, which is entirely dedicated to the topic of art, architecture and gardens. The group is accompanied by Berno Kirchhoff. The tour takes you to the beautiful cities of Hanover, Hildesheim, Celle and Fulda and offers exciting insights into these culturally rich regions.

But what is behind these cities and their reconstruction? Hanover was badly affected in the Second World War and suffered 95 percent destruction. This sad chapter is also taken into account during the city tour. In the New Town Hall of Hanover, city models are presented that show the different eras from 1689 to 1939 to the present day. During a city tour, participants also discover how many medieval buildings have been resurrected.

Works of art that inspire

A special highlight of the trip are the over 200 works of art that can be found in Hanover. These include the famous Nanas by Niki de Saint Phalle, which are located in the Herrenhausen Gardens. These works of art are not only colorful and eye-catching, but also have a colorful history that dates back to 1969. At that time, Niki de Saint Phalle began her relationship with Hanover with a retrospective at the Kunstverein Hannover and later received a commission for a permanent installation near the town hall. Their three Nanas, each over five meters high and made of fiberglass and polyester paint, became a symbol of the city's redesign and are an integral part of Hanover's cultural life, as well Niki de Saint Phalle reported to us.

Citizens' reactions to the Nanas were mixed; While some appreciated the joy of color and the message of the works of art, opponents saw the 180,000 DM that the installation cost as money better spent on education and health. Ultimately, a public dialogue in which around 2,000 residents took part was able to dispel many concerns, so that the Nanas are still part of the cityscape today.

A look at Hildesheim and Celle

But the art trip doesn't just go to Hanover. Hildesheim and Celle are also on the program. A world heritage site awaits participants in Hildesheim: the magnificent St. Michael's Church with its impressive ceiling painting from the 13th century and the cathedral with its unique wheel chandeliers and bronze doors attract everyone's attention. Hildesheim, similar to Hanover, has undergone a dramatic reconstruction, especially after the destruction in March 1945, when many historic facades were reconstructed.

Celle, on the other hand, boasts the largest half-timbered ensemble in Europe, which has been preserved virtually undamaged from the period between the 16th and 19th centuries. As the group strolls through the romantic streets, it becomes clear how important preserving the historical structure is for the residents.

Fulda and the castle garden

The trip is rounded off with a visit to Fulda, where the impressive cathedral and the idyllic castle garden invite you to linger. This trip not only conveys art and architecture, but also awareness of the historical development of cities after the war. Because, as history shows, the post-war period was not without challenges: over a third of the population lived in emergency accommodation, and numerous discussions about the reconstruction of the destroyed cities shaped the political landscape of those years Planet knowledge is described in detail.

It remains exciting to see how the Kunstkreis 84 Riedlingen absorbs all these impressions and experiences in the Lüneburg Heath and the cities visited. The trip promises not only aesthetic enrichment, but also a deep understanding of the cultural transformation these places have undergone. Art and architecture tell the stories of reconstruction, renewal and a look into the past that invites us to look at the present anew.