Leineschloss

The Leineschloss stands beside the Leine in Hanover. It began in about 1300 as a Franciscan friary before becoming a palace for the Hanoverian rulers. The first residence was built in 1636 by George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, on the site of the old monastery. His son Ernest Augustus enlarged it in the late 17th century and added a theatre. The palace also served as a royal burial place and witnessed the birth of George I of Great Britain in 1660. The building’s greatest changes came in the 19th century when Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves rebuilt it in grand style. A column portico with six Corinthian columns was added during this work. The palace became the main residence of Kings Ernest Augustus and George V between 1837 and 1866. During the Second World War it was destroyed by fire in Allied air raids and later reconstructed by Dieter Oesterlen between 1957 and 1962. Today the Leineschloss houses the parliament of Lower Saxony. Visitors enter through the imposing portico and walk along corridors lined with historical portraits. The former chapel area, once a royal burial site, now forms part of the modern legislative chambers. The palace sits close to the riverbank, offering views across the Leine towards the city centre.