Salic Law Hanover could only be inherited by males. As a consequence, Hanover passed to William IV's brother, Ernest Augustus, and remained a kingdom until 1866, when it was annexed by Prussia during the Austro-Prussian war. Despite having defeated Prussia at the Battle of Langensalza, the city of Hanover became a Prussian provincial capital. After the annexation, the people of Hanover opposed the Prussian regime.
However, for Hanoverian industry, the new connection with Prussia meant an improvement in business. The introduction of free trade promoted economic growth, and also led to the recovery of the Gr�nderzeit (founders' era). In the period from 1871 to 1912 the population of Hanover grew from 87,600 to 313,400.
In 1872 the first horse railway was inaugurated, and from 1893 an electric tram was developed.
In 1887 Emile Berliner invented the record and the gramophone.
The upswing in Hanover started with the era of urban Director Heinrich Tramm. From 1891�1918 he was director of the city of Hanover, and fundamentally shaped the look of the city up to the turn of the century (The "Tramm Era"). The large square at the front of the New Town Hall, the Trammplatz, is named after him.
The city was enlarged in 1869, and again in 1882 by adding K�nigsworther Platz and the Welfengarten. In 1891 the municipalities of Herrenhausen, Hainholz, Vahrenwald were added. In 1907 the municipalities of St�cken, Gutsbezirk Mecklenheide, Bothfeld, Klein-Buchholz, Gro�-Buchholz, Kirchrode, D�hren and W�lfel were incorporated into Hanover.
From 1937 the Lord Mayor and the state commissioners of Hanover were members of the NSDAP (Nazi party). As in most large German and European cities, a Jewish population existed in Hanover. In October 1938, 484 Hanoverian Jews of Polish origin were expelled to Poland, including the Grynszpan family. However, Poland refused to admit them. The Grynszpans and thousands of other Polish-Jewish deportees were left
