Herrenhausen Palace and Großer Garten originally used to be a farmyard in 1638. The baroque palace which was built in several phases was redesigned to a classical building by Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves from 1819 to 1821. The palace served as a summer residence for the Guelph family.

Following the bombing of 1943 only the grotto, the great cascade and the outside staircase remained. When the war was over, the Guelph Family sold the destroyed castle and the estate to the City of Hannover.

The Volkswagen Foundation and the City of Hannover have now agreed on a reconstruction of the Herrenhausen Palace, which was destroyed by allied bombing during World War II. The Palace will be rebuilt in its former splendour true to the classical design of the architect Laves. The building is due to be completed by the end of 2012. Thereafter the Palace will function as a convention centre.

Part of the Palace will be used as a museum and will be accessible for the public. The Volkswagen Foundation has agreed to fund the rebuilding of the Palace and will pay 20 million Euro for the reconstruction project. Further the Foundation will meet the greater part of the running costs by using the convention centre for its own congresses and events.