DE-3038401 DE-3152642 Two views of the New Town Hall of Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany

The New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) in Hannover is a city hall and was opened in 1913, after having been under construction for 12 years. It is a magnificent, castle-like building in eclectic style at the southern edge of the inner city (outside of the historic city centre of Hannover). The building is embedded in the 10 hectare Maschpark.

"And it is all paid in cash, your Majesty", as the then mayor of Hannover, Heinrich Tramm , proudly announced to the emperor Wilhelm II, present at the opening ceremony. The proud figure of ten million Mark was the amount the municipality was willing to pay for its new splendid building.

The new town hall is the residence of the mayor, the head of the municipal administration. It is here, that the political bodies hold their sessions, receptions for official guests of the city and art exhibitions are held, the "Citizen's Office" is also here. The doors of the town hall are always wide open to all visitors.

The diagonal lift in the town hall's dome is unique in Europe. At a 15-degree angle it covers the 43 metres up to the gallery at the top of the dome. From this vantage point one can enjoy a marvellous view of the whole city, even as far as the Harz Mountains when visibility is good.

Short notes on Hannover:

Hannover is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany.  With a city population of about 520,000 and a metropolitan population of more than 1.1 million, Hannover is a major centre in North Germany.

The first postcard came from Henning (19 May 2014) Postcrossing and the second postcard came from Gisela (22 April 2014) Postcrossing.