Spar- und Bauverein eG

Spar- und Bauverein eG (marketed as spar+bau) is a housing cooperative (Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft) based in Hannover, Germany. Registered in the cooperative register under number 259, it is the oldest cooperative of its kind in Lower Saxony and Hannover, and the largest in the Lower Saxon state capital. Founded in 1885 out of a tenants' association in Hannover's Oststadt district, it was created in response to the severe housing shortage caused by industrialization and rural-to-urban migration. Its first 65 founding members elected Franz Bork as their first managing director. The cooperative builds, owns and manages rental housing for its members, focusing on affordable housing in formerly industrial districts of Hannover such as the Nordstadt, Vahrenwald, List, Limmer, Linden-Nord, Ricklingen, Wettbergen and the Südstadt. Its portfolio includes several architecturally and urbanistically notable residential complexes, some of which are listed as heritage buildings, including the building group at Lister Straße / Franz-Bork-Straße (1886–1891) and the Brüggemannhof (built 1912–1914 and 1922–1924), which also served as the cooperative's administrative seat for decades. As a registered cooperative (eG), the company is owned by its members rather than by shareholders, and it operates on a not-for-profit, member-benefit basis. It provides supplementary services to tenants through its Wohnplus offerings, including a housing service, neighbourhood meeting points (Treffpunkte), guest apartments, and housing adaptation services. It also runs a 24-hour emergency repair hotline for tenants and publishes a member magazine called "lebe". The cooperative has two wholly owned subsidiaries: Niedersächsische Bauträger-Gesellschaft mbH (NBG), founded around 2000, and Hannoversche Wohnservice-Gesellschaft mbH, which bundles the cooperative's services. Both are managed in personal union by the cooperative's board. In 2025 the cooperative celebrated its 140th anniversary, and it continues to invest in new construction and modernization to maintain long-term affordable housing despite growing challenges.

Spar- und Bauverein eG was founded in 1885 in Hannover, emerging from a tenants' association in the city's Oststadt district. It was established in response to the severe housing shortage that accompanied industrialization and the ongoing migration from rural areas into cities. The first 65 founding members elected Franz Bork as the cooperative's first managing director. Among the founding members was Heinrich Brüggemann, a senator and later namesake of the Brüggemannhof. In its early years the cooperative relied on self-help by its members, who were typically workers and craftsmen. Between 1886 and 1891 it built four-storey raw-brick buildings on the western side of Lister Straße, on inexpensive land close to members' workplaces, in what was known as the "Polierstil". The first apartments in an eight-family house at the corner of what is now Franz-Bork-Straße were rented out as early as 1887 — the first area developed by the cooperative. In 1891, the same year the Lister Straße and Franz-Bork-Straße buildings were completed, the association acquired another plot at Seydlitzstraße / Dessauerstraße. By the turn of the century the cooperative had 3,169 members who had paid in around 1,261,000 marks, and it owned 58 buildings with 487 apartments. From 1912 the Brüggemannhof was added, and the cooperative moved its administrative headquarters there. By 1935 the housing stock had grown steadily to around 3,000 units, with roughly 9,000 members. The air raids on Hannover during the Second World War destroyed about half of all the apartments the cooperative had built up to that point. By the mid-1950s these had been rebuilt, alongside the construction of newer residential complexes. It was only in the mid-1970s that the cooperative's brisk new-build activity slowed; instead, the existing building and housing stock was extensively renovated and modernized. In the 1980s the cooperative's headquarters moved from the Brüggemannhof to its current address at Arndtstraße 5. In 1985, the year of its centenary, the cooperative counted roughly twice as many housing units as before the Second World War, along with around 20,000 members. In the year of the Expo 2000 world exposition, the cooperative founded Niedersächsische Bauträger-Gesellschaft mbH (NBG), and subsequently also Hannoversche Wohnservice-Gesellschaft mbH, which bundles the cooperative's services. Both are wholly owned subsidiaries managed in personal union by the cooperative's board. Throughout its existence the cooperative has built its buildings and apartments primarily in districts of Hannover that were formerly strongly shaped by industry, in particular the Nordstadt, Vahrenwald, List, Limmer, Linden-Nord, Ricklingen and Wettbergen, but also, for example, in the Südstadt. Its partly heritage-listed building stock includes several urbanistically and architecturally remarkable residential complexes. In 2025 the cooperative marked its 140th anniversary, presenting a video in which tenants shared their emotional stories, and it continues to invest in new construction and modernization to secure long-term affordable housing.

• 2025

  140th anniversary celebrated with a video featuring members' stories.

• 2000

  Founding of Niedersächsische Bauträger-Gesellschaft mbH (NBG) in the year of Expo 2000.

• 1985

  Centenary: roughly twice as many housing units as before WWII and around 20,000 members.

• 1935

  Housing stock grows to around 3,000 units with roughly 9,000 members.

• 1912

  Brüggemannhof added; cooperative moves its administrative headquarters there.

• 1891

  Completion of the Lister Straße / Franz-Bork-Straße building group; acquisition of a plot at Seydlitzstraße / Dessauerstraße.

• 1887

  First apartments rented out in an eight-family house at the corner of today's Franz-Bork-Straße.

• 1885

  Founded in Hannover out of a tenants' association in the Oststadt district; 65 founding members elect Franz Bork as first managing director.

Member-owned, not-for-profit housing cooperative providing long-term affordable housing in Hannover; emphasizes social responsibility, community services and sustainable investment.

• Cooperative rental apartments

  Affordable housing owned and managed by the cooperative for its members.

• New-build residential projects

  Ongoing new construction projects by spar+bau.

• Modernization and renovation

  Extensive renovation and modernization of the existing housing stock.

• Wohnplus tenant services

  Supplementary offerings for tenants including housing service, meeting points, guest apartments and housing adaptations.

• Member magazine "lebe"

  Quarterly member magazine with reports, tips and association news.

1. 1Spar- und Bauverein eG – official websitespar-bau-hannover.de
2. 2Storys+Tipps aus der "lebe" – Spar- und Bauverein eGspar-bau-hannover.de
3. 3Vorsicht vor falschen Anlageversprechen! – Spar- und Bauverein eGspar-bau-hannover.de
4. 4Spar- und Bauverein – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Spar- und Bauverein (Hannover) – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org