Abstract: Nickel electrodes having high mechanical stability and advantageous electrochemical properties, in particular, enhanced gas evolution in water electrolysis, are described. These electrodes comprising electrically conductive nickel wire mesh or a lattice-like nickel expanded metal webs, and a layer of mutually adherent nanoporous nickel particles applied only to either the nickel mesh wires or the nickel expanded metal webs, obtainable by partially reducing the spherical nickel hydroxide particles in a reducing atmosphere between 270 to 330° C. to obtain partially reduced, spherical Ni/NiO particles, producing a paste from the Ni/NiO particles, an organic and/or inorganic binder, a surfactant and, optionally, additional adjuvants, applying the paste as a coating to the electrically conductive nickel mesh or nickel expanded metal, and annealing the coated nickel mesh or nickel expanded metal in a reducing atmosphere at 500 to 800° C. A method for manufacturing the nickel electrode is also described.