ST. MARY’S CATHEDRAL IN HILDESHEIM

Where the Chapel of St. Mary had been built in 815, in the year 872 Bishop Altfrid had St. Mary’s Cathedral in Hildesheim built as a three-aisled basilica. The cathedral was constantly extended under the successive bishops. The cathedral suffered considerable fire damage in 1046. Bishop Azelin, who was bishop at that time, planned to erect a new, larger building further to the west and had the walls of the old cathedral pulled down. After Azelin’s death, however, these plans were abandoned because of construction defects and the completed transept was used as the seat of the bishopric by the new Bishop Hezilo. He had the new building erected on the foundations of the first cathedral. The surviving walls were incorporated into the new building. In the 12th and 13th centuries further extensions were made. The side chapels from the Gothic period and a Baroque crossing tower were added later. In the 19th century the original westwork was replaced by a Neo-Romanesque two-tower façade, which stood until 1945.

After being almost entirely destroyed in World War II, re-building began in 1950. A simplified form was chosen, reminiscent of the early Romanesque style. The towers from the 19th century were pulled down and the earlier westwork was reconstructed, based on the westwork of Minden Cathedral in Westphalia, which, however, had also been destroyed. The reconstruction was carried out under tight restraints. Because sandstone tiles were scarce, the floor was relaid in marble, raising the ground level by 60 cm. Columns and ceilings were cast in concrete. The walls were rebuilt with hollow bricks and lime sandstone and were plastered on the inside and given a dressed stone face on the outside.

In 1985 the cathedral, the cathedral treasure and the neighbouring St. Michael’s Church were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The main reason for this is the interior, which gives a comprehensive view of the features of Romanesque churches. Many features go back to the term of office of Bishop Bernward. A great era, the Bernwardian Period, was named after him. In addition to many other works of art, he had the Column of Christ and the Bernward Doors created, featuring scenes from the life of Jesus. In the second cathedral building art treasures such as the Azelin chandelier and the Hezilo chandelier were added, which represent Heavenly Jerusalem. During excavations, the cathedral proved to be a real treasure trove. In addition to the foundations of the first Chapel of St. Mary and remains of the Carolingian defensive wall, graves, fabric remnants, shoes, writing utensils and floor patterns from the Middle Ages were found. Furthermore, a bell founding complex from the 18th century was discovered next to the cathedral. Fragments from the Roman Iron Age are proof of the early settlement of the cathedral district.

From 2010 to 2014 the cathedral was renovated, especially in order to improve the building technology, fire prevention and acoustics. The floor was lowered to the original level. The organ loft, which had been installed after the war, made way for a self-supporting construction. The church interior was given a bright coat of paint and flexible seating. It was also divided up in a more modern way in order to more appropriately respond to the needs of altered forms of church services. The two wheel chandeliers were restored to their original places in the choir and the nave. The Bernward Doors were placed further inwards in their original position, creating a small antechamber in the cathedral. The Church of St. Antonius in the cloisters of the cathedral now house the Cathedral Museum, so that the collection of the museum can be shown to better advantage. The earlier bishops, whose graves were formerly situated in the church interior, were put in a special crypt for the bishops. A new foyer leading to the Cathedral Museum and the Rose of Hildesheim was integrated in the cathedral school, which is situated on the north side of the two-storey cloisters.

A special feature of Hildesheim Cathedral is the so-called “Thousand-year Rose”. This wild rosebush grows in the inner courtyard of the cloisters, the so-called St. Anne’s Graveyard, on the wall of the apse and is believed to be the oldest living rosebush in the world. According to legend, it originates from the year 815, the founding year of the Bishopric of Hildesheim. After a mass in the middle of the forest, the reliquary containing relics of the Virgin Mary is said to have got caught on the branches of a rosebush. The emperor saw this as a sign that a new bishopric should be founded. It was at this place that he had a chapel of St. Mary erected, a predecessor building of the present cathedral. The rosebush still has a symbolic meaning for Hildesheim. When the cathedral was devastated in World War II, the rosebush was also destroyed, but the roots survived. Already two months after the war, the first blossoms sprouted. The population of Hildesheim considered this to be a sign of hope and a new beginning. The rose is also the emblem of the city and decorates the municipal coat of arms.