HILDESHEIM

Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 25 km southeast of Hannover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small affluent of the Leine river. Population: 106,100 (1999).

The town was founded in 815 and became a bishopric. Four centuries the clergy ruled Hildesheim, before a town hall was built and the citizens gained some influence. In 1367 Hildesheim became a member of the Hanseatic League.

The city was totally destroyed by air raids in 1945. The centre, which had retained its medieval character until then, ceased to exist. It was rebuilt in a completely different style, and concrete houses took the place of the destroyed buildings. In the late 1970s the reconstruction of the historic centre began: The concrete buildings were torn down and replaced by copies of the old buildings.

Also in the 1970s, the University of Hildesheim was founded.

The cathedral of Hildesheim is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built in the 9th century, but destroyed in 1945; it was reconstructed soon after the war. A rose tree entwines itself around the apsis, claimed to have been planted simultaneously with the foundation of the church. It was also destroyed in 1945, but the roots survived and began to sprout anew.