Hastra

Hannover-Braunschweigische Stromversorgungs AG, commonly known as Hastra, was a regional energy utility based in Hanover, Germany, with a supply territory covering northeastern Lower Saxony. It was founded in 1929 as a joint venture between Preußische Elektrizitäts AG (which held a 57.49% stake), a group of Lower Saxon cities and districts (including Celle, Diepholz, Goslar, Hanover, Helmstedt, Hildesheim, Lüchow-Dannenberg, Lüneburg, Nienburg/Weser, Northeim, Soltau-Fallingbostel and Wolfenbüttel), and Braunschweiger Versorgungs-AG. At its height Hastra supplied electricity to roughly one third of Lower Saxony, serving the areas of its participating municipalities and districts. Rather than generating most of its own power, Hastra operated only a limited number of power plants and purchased the bulk of its electricity from PreussenElektra and Überland-Zentrale Helmstedt AG (ÜZH). In 1960 a new Hastra administration building was erected on Humboldtstraße in Hanover, designed by architects Otto Dellemann, Georg Seewald and Gustav Wulff. The company also became known for its cultural and educational work: from 1979 it publicly displayed a collection of historic electrical appliances in Hanover, which grew into the Elektro-Technisches Museum der Hastra and later the Museum für Energiegeschichte(n) run by Avacon AG, featuring more than 1,000 exhibits on the history of electrical power technology. The museum closed in spring 2021 for cost reasons. In 1999 Hastra merged with Energieversorgung Magdeburg AG (EVM), Ferngas Salzgitter AG (FSG), Landesgasversorgung Niedersachsen AG (Landesgas) and ÜZH to form Avacon AG, which was renamed E.ON Avacon AG in June 2005. The Hastra name thus disappeared as an independent utility brand, though its legacy persists through Avacon and the E.ON group. The company is documented in publications such as its own 50th-anniversary volume (1979) and the Stadtlexikon Hannover (2009).

Hastra was founded in 1929 as a regional electricity utility for northeastern Lower Saxony. Its shareholders were Preußische Elektrizitäts AG (57.49%), a number of Lower Saxon cities and districts (Celle, Diepholz, Goslar, Hanover, Helmstedt, Hildesheim, Lüchow-Dannenberg, Lüneburg, Nienburg/Weser, Northeim, Soltau-Fallingbostel and Wolfenbüttel), and Braunschweiger Versorgungs-AG. The company supplied electricity to the territories of its participating districts and cities, altogether about one third of Lower Saxony. It operated only a small number of its own power plants and instead purchased electricity from PreussenElektra and Überland-Zentrale Helmstedt AG (ÜZH). In 1960, a new Hastra administration building was constructed on Humboldtstraße in Hanover, following designs by architects Otto Dellemann, Georg Seewald and Gustav Wulff. Beyond its core utility business, Hastra became known for preserving the history of electrical technology. Starting in 1979, it publicly exhibited a collection of historic electrical appliances in Hanover. This collection grew over the years into the Elektro-Technisches Museum der Hastra, which later became the Museum für Energiegeschichte(n) operated by Avacon AG. With more than 1,000 exhibits, the museum presented the history of electrical power technology. It was closed in spring 2021 for cost reasons. In 1999, Hastra merged with Energieversorgung Magdeburg AG (EVM), Ferngas Salzgitter AG (FSG), Landesgasversorgung Niedersachsen AG (Landesgas) and ÜZH to form Avacon AG. In June 2005, the merged entity was renamed E.ON Avacon AG. The Hastra brand ceased to exist as an independent utility, and its operations were absorbed into the larger Avacon/E.ON structure. The company's history is documented in its own publication '50 Jahre HASTRA, 1929–1979' and in Rainer Ertel's entry in the Stadtlexikon Hannover (2009).

• 2021

  Museum für Energiegeschichte(n), successor to the Hastra museum, closed in spring for cost reasons.

• 2005

  Avacon AG renamed E.ON Avacon AG in June.

• 1999

  Hastra merges with EVM, FSG, Landesgas and ÜZH to form Avacon AG.

• 1979

  Hastra begins publicly exhibiting a collection of historic electrical appliances in Hanover, origin of its electrical technology museum.

• 1960

  New Hastra administration building erected on Humboldtstraße in Hanover, designed by Otto Dellemann, Georg Seewald and Gustav Wulff.

• 1929

  Hastra founded as Hannover-Braunschweigische Stromversorgungs AG by Preußische Elektrizitäts AG, Lower Saxon cities and districts, and Braunschweiger Versorgungs-AG.

Regional electricity utility serving about one third of Lower Saxony, purchasing bulk power from larger generators.

• Electricity supply

  Regional electricity distribution to northeastern Lower Saxony.

1. 1Hastra – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2Hastra – Wikidatawikidata.org