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How did Hannover become the capital of Lower Saxony?

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Lower Saxony New Town Hall, Hannover, Ger.

Lower Saxony was established on November 1, 1946, by the British military government, which merged the former Prussian province of Hanover with the states of Braunschweig, Oldenburg, and Schaumburg-Lippe.1

Hannover became the capital of this new state because it had previously served as the capital of the kingdom of Hanover (1815–1866) and subsequently as the capital of the Prussian province of Hanover. Following the 1946 merger, the city continued its role as an administrative center for the newly formed state.21