Editing Hanover (section)

=== Early history ===
[[File:Leine at Hannover City.JPG|thumb|[[Leine]] river in Hanover, seen right of (1) the Beguine Tower and remnants of the city's medieval city wall that have been integrated into the [[Historisches Museum Hannover|Hanover Historical Museum]] and (2) the [[Leineschloss|Leine Palace]]]]
[[File:1641 erstmals veröffentlichter Kupferstich Hannover vom Nordosten, Matthäus Merian.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2|Illustration of Hanover by [[Matthäus Merian]],<ref>{{cite Q |Q127276178 |pages=1297–1298 |mode=cs1}}</ref> first issued 1641]]
Hanover was founded in medieval times on the east bank of the [[Leine]] River. Its original name ''Honovere'' may mean 'high river bank', but that is debated.{{cn |date=July 2024}} Hanover was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen that became a comparatively large town in the 13th century and received [[town privileges]] in 1241 because of its position at a natural crossroads. As overland travel was relatively difficult, its position on the upper navigable reaches of the river helped it grow from increasing trade. It was connected to the [[Hanseatic League]] city of [[Bremen]] by the Leine River and was situated near the southern edge of the wide [[North German Plain]] and northwest of the [[Harz]] mountains, so east–west traffic such as mule trains passed through it. Hanover was thus a gateway to the [[Rhine]], [[Ruhr (river)|Ruhr]] and [[Saar (river)|Saar]] river valleys, and their industrial areas which grew up to the southwest and the plains regions to the east and north for overland traffic skirting the Harz between the [[Low Countries]] and [[Electorate of Saxony|Saxony]] or [[Thuringia]].

In the 14th century, the main [[church (building)|churches]] of Hanover were built, as well as a [[defensive wall|city wall]] with three city gates. The beginning of industrialization in Germany led to trade in iron and silver from the northern [[Harz Mountains]], which increased the city's importance.

In 1636 [[George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg]], ruler of the [[Brunswick-Lüneburg]] [[principality of Calenberg]], moved his residence to Hanover. The Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg were elevated by the [[Holy Roman Emperor]] to the rank of [[Prince-Elector]] in 1692, which was confirmed by the [[Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Diet]] in 1708. Thus, the principality was upgraded to the [[Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg]], colloquially known as the [[Electorate of Hanover]] after Calenberg's capital (see also [[House of Hanover]]). Its electors later became monarchs of [[Great Britain]] (and from 1801 of the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]). The first of them was [[George I of Great Britain|George I Louis]], who acceded to the British throne in 1714. The last British monarch who reigned in Hanover was [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]]. [[Semi-Salic law]], which required succession by the male line if possible, forbade the accession of [[Queen Victoria]] in Hanover. As a male-line descendant of George I, Queen Victoria was herself a member of the House of Hanover. Her descendants, however, bore her husband's titular name of [[Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]]. Three kings of Great Britain, or the United Kingdom, were concurrently also [[prince-elector|Electoral Princes]] of Hanover.

During the time of the personal union of the crowns of the United Kingdom and Hanover (1714–1837), the monarchs rarely visited the city. In fact during the reigns of the last three joint rulers (1760–1837), there was only one short visit, by [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV]] in 1821. From 1816 to 1837, [[Viceroy]] [[Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge|Adolphus]] represented the monarch in Hanover.

During the [[Seven Years' War]], the [[Battle of Hastenbeck]] was fought near the city on 26 July 1757. The French army defeated the [[Hanoverian Army of Observation]], which led to the city's occupation as part of the [[Invasion of Hanover (1757)|Invasion of Hanover]]. It was recaptured by Anglo-German forces, led by [[Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick|Ferdinand of Brunswick]], the following year.