Wilhelm von Hanno was born in
Hamburg, Germany. Wilhelm's father, music teacher and librarian Johann Carl Hübner (born 1790), was a native of
Königsberg and later took the additional name von Hanno. Von Hanno was educated at Die Hamburgische Gesellschaft zur Beförderung der Künste und Nützlichen Gewerben in Hamburg between the years 1840–43. German-born architect,
Heinrich Ernst Schirmer was appointed the construction manager for the restoration of
Oslo Cathedral but when he became ill, in 1850, von Hanno came to Oslo and was retained complete the project. From about 1851 to 1862, von Hanno entered into partnership with
Heinrich Ernst Schirmer and designed a number of important structures including a number of station buildings, military buildings and private residences. Among their works were
Gaustad Hospital,
Tangen Church (1854),
Vestre Aker Church (1853–1855) and
Østre Aker Church (1857–1860). Schirmer and Hanno designed all stations on Norway's first railway line, the
Hoved Line between
Christiania and
Eidsvoll which were finished in 1854. Von Hanno designed Oslo's
Holy Trinity Church (
Trefoldighetskirken) (1858) and the first part of
Christiania Station, in cooperation with
Heinrich Ernst Schirmer. They also designed the initial plans for the
Parliament of Norway Building, but this design was later discarded. From 1862, Wilhelm von Hanno maintained an architectural office in Christiania. His major commission was for the
Grønland Church (1866–1868), Grønland fire and police building at Grønlandsleiret 32, (1866) and the Grønland School at Borggata 2b, (1867). Von Hanno was an accomplished draftsman who also maintained teaching activities, art lessons and field trips for students of architecture. He was a member of the building commission in Christiania 1856-1882, the editorial staff of the Polytechnic Journals 1862-1882 and the Board of Christiania Art Society from 1864 to 1882.{{cite web|url= https://nkl.snl.no/Wilhelm_von_Hanno|title=Wilhelm von Hanno|publisher = Norsk kunstnerleksikon |author= Ole Petter Bjerkek In 1872 a set of stamps for
Norway Post, designed by von Hanno, was released. ==Personal life==