Leibniz tour

In the Footsteps of the polymath

Follow in the footsteps of this polymath and discover, on a walking tour of Hannover, the historic buildings and places where Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz lived and worked during his lifetime.

In 2016, Hannover focused on a prominent figure in all fields: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. It has been 300 years since the death of this polymath, who lived and worked in Hannover for 40 years. He was born on July 1, 1646, in Leipzig and died on November 14, 1716, in Hannover at the age of 70. Leibniz constructed the first calculating machine for the four basic arithmetic operations and described the binary system using zero and one, the foundation of modern computer technology.

The spirit of Leibniz is reflected in the main building of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Library, as he laid the foundation for the library's collection with the Ducal Library. As a lawyer and advisor to the Dukes of Guelph, he also kept a uniquely diverse correspondence, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It comprises 200,000 sheets. Leibniz corresponded with 1,100 people from 16 countries.

Leibniz House in the historic old town of Hanover.

Shortly before his death in November 1716, he was visited by the Russian Tsar Peter the Great and George I, Elector of Hanover and, by right of personal union, King of England. For the multilingual Leibniz, it was important to learn from other peoples rather than fight them. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Enlightenment—using reason to combat prejudice and superstition. Many things in the city remind us of him, from Leibniz University to the Leibniz cookie. He didn’t invent that one, though.

For more interesting information about Leibniz, visit www.wer-war-leibniz.de.

Follow in the footsteps of the last great polymath with our Leibniz walking tour in Hannover.