Lawn maze

Run to your pleasure

Rasenlabyrinth mit Baum in der Mitte. — Das Rad in der Eilenriede.

One of the last historic lawn labyrinths in Germany is not far from the "Lister Turm" in the northern part of the city forrest "Eilenriede" - in earlier times a place to give spring feelings the right direction.

The "wheel" in the Eilenriede is a labyrinth of lawns and gravel. Through meanders the path leads to the destination in the middle - a large lime tree. It is probably a remnant from the old Germanic period: a place of worship where dance and spring games were held. Probably people in pre-Christian times tried to reconcile with the forces of nature surrounding them by means of ritual dances, world view and order of life. On festive days, youths and "unpromised" girls ran "for their pleasure" in the twists and turns of the wheel. It is one of the last four historical lawn labyrinths in Germany.

Original location

In the middle of the 17th century the wheel was first mentioned in Hanover's city chronicle, its original location was near the excursion restaurant "Neues Haus". This was built at Emmichplatz as a dance and excursion restaurant, where a plague house once stood at the gates of the city. The entry in the town chronicle refers to a "bridal run". The young people danced around the lime tree in the middle of the labyrinth after the "wheel" had run out.

Between Zoo and "Lister Turm"

The wheel has kept its present location since 1932. Since the flat complex is surrounded by a small, circular and green wall, it cannot be seen from the outside and is quickly overlooked. The best way to find it is to drive or walk through Bernadotte-Allee coming from the zoo and turn half-right onto the somewhat larger, rather long, straight foot/cycle path. This leads directly to it, at the entrance there is also the "Fischer's Oak", recognizable by the memorial stone erected in front of it. The oak was planted in 1882 to honour Carl Ludwig Fischer, the court conductor of the king George V. of Hanover.