Market church

The Marktkirche is the magnificent highlight of Hanover’s Old Town. Alongside the Old Town Hall, this church, built in the 14th century, is considered the southernmost masterpiece of North German Brick Gothic architecture.

Hannover once expanded from this very spot, where merchants and artisans lived. When the tower had reached only half its intended height during construction, the city’s empty coffers put an end to the planned ascent: “The builders have grown weary and their purses have run dry,” the chronicle notes. Without further ado, a shorter spire was added for financial reasons—a design that proved so popular it inspired numerous imitators. After its destruction in World War II, the Marktkirche was rebuilt in 1952 in the historic style. The west portal was designed by sculptor Gerhard Marcks and features motifs from the saddest chapter in German history.

Even well-informed residents of Hannover may not know this: “German Michel” is buried in the Marktkirche. He was a real person. Johann Michael von Obentraut fought in the Thirty Years’ War at the head of a German-Danish army against General Tilly and was mortally wounded on October 25, 1625. Knight Obentraut was nicknamed “German Michel.”