Roter faden

Description

The Red Thread is a 4.2 kilometre long line, which marks the pavement using red colour. The line follows pedestrian ways and crosses numerous streets. The line starts at Ernst-August-Platz next to the Tourist Information opposite the main train station and ends at the equestrian statue of former king Ernst August right in front of the main train station. The course of the Red Line is continuously barrier free. The line is renewed every year using about 70 litres of red colour.

The Red Thread has its own brochure, created by the Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH, in which each station is explained. This brochure is also available in 10 different languages (see Literature). There is also an app "Roter Faden" available for iOS offering 4 languages.

Origin

The "Roter Faden" was created in 1971 during a marketing campaign which the Düsseldorfer Agentur Gerstner, Gredinger & Kutter (GGK) developed for the city of Hannover. The agency had been chosen in 1969 by city manager Martin Neuffer. At that time Hannover had a reputation of being one of the most boring cities in Germany. Appreciating art, city manager Neuffer initiated an image campaign using two components: a street art program and the Hannover marketing. The idea was since copied by some other cities.

Stations of the Roter Faden

1. Tourist information next to the main train station
2. Galerie Luise
3. The Opera
4. Georgstraße
5. Georgsplatz
6. Around the Aegidientor
7. Aegidien Church
8. „Siebenmännerstein“ (Spartanerstein) next to Aegidien church
9. Remains of the town wall and "Kubus" art gallery (Theodor-Lessing-Platz)
10. The archer on Trammplatz next to the new city hall
11. New City Hall
12. Museum August Kestner
13. The portal with coat of arms decoration next to the city administration
14. Laveshaus, former home to the architect Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves
15. Wangenheimpalais
16. Waterloosäule and state archives
17. "About water art and und river gods" on the river Leine (see Göttinger Sieben)
18. Schloßbrücke next to Leineschloss
19. Hohes Ufer (Beginenturm)
20. Nanas by Niki de Saint Phalle (street art in Hannover, peddlers market)
21. Entering the Altstadt through the Marstalltor
22. Hannovers oldest town house (Burgstraße 12)
23. The Kreuzkirche
24. Johann Duve – entrepreneur (Duvekapelle next to the Kreuzkirche)
25. Ballhof, Hannovers oldest sports hall
26. Historisches Museum
27. Leineschloss, seat of the Landtag of Lower Saxony
28. Leibnizhaus am Holzmarkt
29. In the heart of the historic city (Altstadt): Timber framed buildings and pubs
30. Marktkirche
31. Altes Rathaus
32. Fratzenkopf relief at the façade of the Old City Hall
33. Markthalle
34. City – the shopping area
35. Kröpcke
36. Unterm Schwanz: popular meeting point in front of the Hauptbahnhof at the Ernst August equestrian statue

Literature