Säule Nr. 4: Kunst und Kultur in Hannover

In the 17th century, the Guelph dukes established their Baroque monarchy. In addition to government agencies and a standing army, this also included a culture of courtly and festive events. Of particular significance was the opera house in the Leineschloss (now the state parliament), completed in 1690, which seated over 1,000 spectators and was considered the most modern in Europe.

The Herrenhausen Gallery building also hosted musical performances, such as the 1692 premiere of the opera *Enrico Leone* by Agostino Steffani (1654–1728), held to celebrate Duke Ernst August’s (1629–1698) elevation to the rank of Elector. George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) served as court Kapellmeister for several months in 1710 before moving to London, where he worked in the service of the Hanoverian kings George I and George II. Among the outstanding architects of the period around 1700 was the Venetian Tommaso Giusti (1644–1729), who created the Aeneas frescoes in the gallery building and designed the Catholic Church of St. Clement.

Would you like to learn more about this topic? Visit Column No. 4 on Schmiedestraße!