Garbsen is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Leine, approx. 11 km northwest of Hanover. The name Garbsen can be traced back to 1223. Today's 13 city districts have partly developed independently until the city of Garbsen was formed within its current boundaries during the regional reform in 1974.
In the course of industrialization and especially after the Second World War, the population of Garbsen and its predecessor municipalities increased significantly. In 1963, the current district Auf der Horst was created as a residential and working class district for up to 10,000 residents. Originally planned by the state capital Hannover, Auf der Horst became an important factor for the independent urban development of Garbsen in the following years.
In the first decades of the post-war period, Garbsen was primarily a classic "sleeping city" for numerous workers in Hanover's industrial enterprises such as VW Nutzfahrzeuge, Continental or VARTA, today Johnson Controls. Since then Garbsen has experienced a significant change in the economic structure.