Hildesheim Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hildesheim Cathedral |
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| The Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary | |
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Hildesheimer Dom
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Northwest view of Hildesheim Cathedral
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| 52°08′56″N 9°56′50″E / 52.14889°N 9.94722°E | |
| Location | Hildesheim |
| Country | Germany |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | Assumption of Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Cathedral |
| Architectural type | basilica |
| Style | Romanesque (original) Gothic (side chapels and northern paradise) Baroque (crossing tower) |
| Groundbreaking | 815 (Chapel of St. Mary) 872 (St. Mary's Cathedral) |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 80 m (262 ft 6 in) |
| Width | 44 m (144 ft 4 in) |
| Height | 20 m (65 ft 7 in) |
| Number of spires | 1 |
| Spire height | 41 m (134 ft 6 in) |
| Bells | 12 |
| Tenor bell weight | 8686kg |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Hildesheim |
Hildesheim Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary, is a very old Roman Catholic church in Hildesheim, Germany. It is the main church for the Diocese of Hildesheim. Since 1985, this amazing cathedral has been a World Cultural Heritage site recognized by UNESCO. It shares this special honor with the nearby St. Michael's Church. People admire it for its unique art and stunning Romanesque style.
The main church building was constructed between 1010 and 1020. It was built in the Romanesque style, which was popular at the time. The cathedral has a special design with two rounded ends, typical of churches from the Ottonian period in Old Saxony. Inside, you can find incredible artworks. These include famous bronze pieces made during the time of Bishop Bernward, like the Bernward Doors and the Bernward Column. The cathedral also has two of the four important Romanesque wheel chandeliers: the Hezilo chandelier and the Azelin chandelier.
Over the centuries, the cathedral was updated and expanded. However, it was almost completely destroyed during an air raid in World War II on March 22, 1945. It was carefully rebuilt from 1950 to 1960. A big renovation project started in 2010 to make sure the cathedral's structure and art were preserved. Some of its treasures were even shown in an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The cathedral officially reopened on August 15, 2014.
Contents
History of Hildesheim Cathedral
Building the Cathedral
The Diocese of Hildesheim was created in 815 by Louis the Pious. A small chapel dedicated to St. Mary was built where the main church stands today. Later, Bishop Gunthar of Hildesheim built a small church with two round towers nearby. This church, dedicated to Saint Cecilia, was the first cathedral. Only small parts of these early buildings remain today.
The main cathedral we see today was built in 872 under Bishop Altfrid. It was designed as a large church with a cross shape and three aisles. This style is known as Ottonian architecture. The building was badly damaged by a fire in 1046. Bishop Azelin planned to build a new, bigger church. But his successor, Hezilo of Hildesheim, decided to rebuild on the old foundations. He used the parts of the walls that were still standing.
Important changes were made until the late 1300s, but the basic shape of Bishop Altfrid's church stayed the same. The side chapels and the tower above the main crossing were added later. In the 1800s, the front part of the church was changed to a new Romanesque style. This part was also destroyed in 1945.
Cathedral School and Library
The Hildesheim Cathedral School|de|Hildesheimer Domschule was a very important school during the Ottonian and Salian times. It had rooms in the church's cloisters (covered walkways). The cathedral's library, which started in 815, is the oldest library in Northern Germany. It holds many ancient books.
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Foundation of the first cathedral under the crypt dating from 815
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Crossing and northern side chapels
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Cloister, built from 1060 to 1070
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Cloister with St. Anne's Chapel, c. 1845
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Westwork before 1840
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Neo-Romanesque westwork, 1890
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Anne's chapel
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Hezilo chandelier in the crossing, 2009
Destruction and Rebuilding
During World War II, Hildesheim was bombed from the air. The main part of the cathedral was almost completely destroyed. Only the front section and the outer walls remained. Among the other buildings, only the Gothic Anne's Chapel, built in 1321, was mostly unharmed. Hildesheim Cathedral was the only church in Germany that had to be blessed again after it was rebuilt. This happened on March 27, 1960.
The church was rebuilt between 1950 and 1960. The builders decided to make it look more like its original early Romanesque style. They did not put back some of the later additions. For example, the upper parts and side towers added to the front in 1840 were not rebuilt. The front part was made to look like it did before, similar to Minden Cathedral. The outside of the cathedral now looks much like it did before the war.
The rebuilding was done with limited resources. The floor was made of marble instead of sandstone. The roofs were made of concrete, but covered with wood inside to look like old wooden beams. The inner walls were rebuilt with brick and limestone, then covered with plaster. The ground level inside was raised a bit, making the rooms feel a little shorter.
The rebuilding took a long time, partly because of a disagreement about who should pay for it. The Diocese of Hildesheim and the state of Lower Saxony argued over the costs. They finally reached an agreement in 1957.
Renovations from 2010 to 2014
A major renovation of the cathedral started in January 2010. This was the first big update since 1960. During this time, the floor was lowered back to its original level. The famous Hezilo and Azelin chandeliers were put back in their original places. The Bernward Doors were also moved to face outwards, as they were first intended. A special burial place for bishops was also created.
The cathedral was closed on January 10, 2010, for the work to begin. While it was closed, the basilica of St. Godehard served as the main church. This renovation was the biggest church building project in Germany at the time. The cathedral officially reopened on August 15, 2014. This date also marked the start of the Diocese's 1200-year celebration.
The Thousand-year Rose
The cathedral is famous for its "Thousand-year Rose" bush. This rose grows on the outer wall of the church, in the courtyard. No one knows its exact age, but a legend says it dates back to 815. This rose is a very important symbol for Hildesheim. People believe that as long as the rose bush blooms, Hildesheim will be successful.
The legend tells that Emperor Louis the Pious was hunting and needed to hold a church service. He hung a special container with a relic of St. Mary on a wild rose branch. After the service, he couldn't remove the relic. The Emperor saw this as a sign. He decided that the new bishopric (church area) should be built right there, not in Elze as he had planned. He dedicated it to St. Mary, whose symbol is the rose.
We know for sure that the rose bush has been there for at least 400 years. When the cathedral was bombed in 1945, the rose bush above ground was destroyed. Only a burned stump was left. Everyone thought the famous rose was gone. But the roots were mostly safe, and in the spring of 1945, 25 new shoots grew! The first few flowers appeared in 1947, and by 1948, there were 122 flowers. Since then, new branches of the "Thousand-year Rose" have been marked with small metal signs showing the year they appeared. Many believe it is the oldest living rose in the world.
Archaeological Discoveries
During the renovations from 2010 to 2014, archaeologists made exciting discoveries. They found the foundations of the first St. Mary's chapel, which dates back to the 800s. This first church was small, about 6 by 6 meters, with a rounded end to the east. The remains of the first altar were found there. The foundations of this very first church were made of thick sandstone.
Even older discoveries were made to the west and south of the church. Twenty graves were found. In August 2012, they uncovered the skeleton of a young woman who died around 800 AD. She was buried with glass beads (from a necklace) and a small knife. This is the oldest complete burial ever found at Hildesheim Cathedral.
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Excavations in the westwork -
Grave from around 800
Art and Treasures Inside the Cathedral
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Hildesheim Cathedral is home to many beautiful artworks. These include the world-famous bronze doors, known as the Bernward Doors. They show scenes from the Bible, like stories from the Gospels and the Book of Genesis. There's also a tall bronze column, the Bernward Column, which shows scenes from the life of Jesus. These amazing bronze pieces were made in the early 1000s for Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim.
You can also see two important Romanesque wheel chandeliers. These are large, circular chandeliers. The bigger one is the Hezilo chandelier, and the older one is the Azelin chandelier. Another special item is the Ringelheim Crucifix, a wooden cross made around the year 1000.
Other treasures include:
- The shrine of St. Epiphanius of Pavia, from the early 1100s.
- The shrine of St. Godehard in the crypt, from around 1140.
- The Reliquary of Mary and the Crosses of Bernward. These and other beautiful religious items are shown in the Hildesheim Cathedral Museum.
- A bronze eagle lectern, made around 1220.
- The late Romanesque bronze baptismal font, made in 1225.
- The Gothic Inkpot Madonna, a statue of Mary.
- An apse cross in the main church area. Legend says its base was made from the center of the Irminsul, an ancient sacred tree.
Many religious items from the cathedral were shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City from 2013 to 2014.
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Bernward Column
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Bronze baptismal font
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Shrine of St. Epiphanius
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Statue of Bishop Godehard
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Bernward Doors
Cathedral Organs
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Hildesheim Cathedral has had organs since the 1300s. The first big organ was built around 1616. It had 31 different sounds. This organ was rebuilt and made bigger over the years. In 1909, a new organ with 54 sounds was installed, using the old organ's case. Sadly, this organ was destroyed during the air raid in 1945.
After the war, a new organ was built in 1960. It had 52 different sounds. In 1989, it was updated and expanded to 66 sounds.
In 2014, a brand new organ was built by a company called Orgelbau Romanus Seifert & Sohn. This impressive organ has 77 different sounds! Some parts and sounds from the previous organ were reused. There is also a smaller organ in the left aisle of the cathedral with 16 sounds. Both organs can be played from two control panels, one for the main organ and a movable one in the church.
Cathedral Bells
Before World War II, the cathedral had more than sixteen bells. Nine of these bells survived the war. However, the large Godehard bell was so damaged that it could no longer be rung. Two bells could be used again: the historic Apostolica bell from 1765 and the Nikolaus bell from 1766.
After the war, there were plans to create a set of 12 bells. In 1960, five new bells were made and placed in the west tower along with the Apostolica bell. The Apostolica bell was even tuned a bit lower to match the new bells.
During the 2010-2014 renovation, the bell system was expanded. Six new bells were added to reach the original plan of 12 bells. These new bells are named after important people in the Diocese of Hildesheim. For example, one bell is named after Bishop Altfrid, who helped build the cathedral. Another is named after Hedwig of Schlesien, who is a patron of refugees.
In 2013, the old wooden frame for the bells was replaced with a new one made of oak. This new frame holds the six new bells and some of the old ones. The new bells were cast in November 2013. The Cantabona bell is the second largest bell in Lower Saxony.
Important Events at the Cathedral
Hildesheim Cathedral has seen many important moments in history. In 1146, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux visited to try and convince King Conrad III to go on a crusade. Later, in 1193, the English king Richard the Lionheart was handed over to Emperor Henry VI right in front of the cathedral. He had been captured by Duke Leopold of Austria.
In 1529, six princes and fourteen free cities protested against a decision made by the Diet of Speyer. This act of protest happened near the cathedral. The cathedral is also special for Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), as she received her first communion there. You can find a statue of her inside the church.
In more recent times, in the 1980s and 1990s, many important leaders visited the cathedral. German Chancellor Helmut Kohl brought leaders like Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, and George Bush Sr. The funeral service for Helmut Kohl was watched by 2.5 million people on TV, including Bill Clinton.
World Heritage Site Status
Hildesheim Cathedral was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. It shares this honor with St. Michael's Church, also in Hildesheim. This means they are considered very important cultural sites for all of humanity.
Reopening Celebration
On August 15, 2014, the cathedral officially reopened after its big restoration. Bishop Norbert Trelle opened the famous Bernward Doors and entered the cathedral. He was followed by 30 other bishops and guests, including other church leaders and politicians like Stephan Weil and Christian Wulff. Bishop Trelle said in his sermon that the church must look to the future while still honoring its past. He also mentioned the burning churches in Syria, highlighting the contrast with the reopening celebration. The cathedral was restored to look more like its original medieval design. For example, a ceiling added after World War II was removed, and the original floor level was brought back. A new altar was also created by artist Ulrich Rückriem.
Location of the Cathedral
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Hildesheim Cathedral is located in the southern part of Hildesheim's city center. It sits on a small hill called the Domhügel (Cathedral's Hill). The main entrances are on the south and north sides. The Roemer- and Pelizaeus-Museum, which has ancient Egyptian art, is very close to the west of the cathedral. Around the hill, there is a wall that once protected the cathedral area. To the north is the Michaelishügel (St. Michael's Hill), and to the northeast is downtown Hildesheim. The River Mühlengraben flows to the west. Nearby buildings include the former government building, the bishop's office, a school called Gymnasium Josephinum, and the city's Labour Court.
