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HILDESHEIM

Coordinates: 52°9′N 9°57′E

Hildesheim
Coat of arms of Hildesheim Location of Hildesheim in Germany
Country Germany
State Lower Saxony
District Hildesheim
Population 102,767 source (2005)
Area 92.96 km²
Population density 1,105 /km²
Elevation 78 m
Coordinates 52°9′ N 9°57′ E
Postal code 31101-31141
Area code 05121
Licence plate code HI
Mayor Kurt Machens
Website hildesheim.de

Hildesheim (help·info) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 25 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river. It may be reached from Autobahn A7, which links Kassel, Göttingen and Hanover, and routes 1, 6, 243 and 494.

Contents

[edit] History

The town became the seat of the Bishopric of Hildesheim in 815. For 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.

Photochrom showing Hildesheim town hall in the 1890s
Photochrom showing Hildesheim town hall in the 1890s

The city was heavily damaged by air raids in 1945, especially on March 22. The centre, which had retained its medieval character until then, simply ceased to exist. After the war, it was rebuilt in a completely different style and concrete structures took the place of the destroyed buildings. Fortunately, in the late 1970s reconstruction of the historic centre began. The unattractive concrete buildings were torn down and replaced by replicas of the original 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 damaged in 1945; it was reconstructed soon after the war. Entwined around the apse is a rose tree, 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.

The Romanesque St. Michael's Church, built from 1010 to 1022, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

[edit] Districts

¹ one district
² districts with two districts

[edit] Incorporations

  • 1911: Moritzberg
  • 1912: Steuerwald
  • 1938: Drispenstedt and Neuhof
  • 1971: Ochtersum
  • 1974: Achtum-Uppen, Bavenstedt, Einum, Himmelsthür, Itzum, Marienburg, Marienrode and Sorsum

[edit] Population history

Year Population
1400 ca. 6,000
1450 ca. 8,000
1648 ca. 5,500
1803 11,108
1825 12,630
1849 14,651
1871 20,801
December 1, 1875 ¹ 22,581
December 1, 1890 ¹ 33,481
December 1, 1900 ¹ 42,973
December 1, 1910 ¹ 50,239
October 8, 1919 ¹ 53,499
June 16, 1925 ¹ 58,522
June 16, 1933 ¹ 62,519
May 17, 1939 ¹ 72,101
September 13, 1950 ¹ 65,531
June 6, 1961 ¹ 96,296
December 31, 1970 93,400
June 30, 1975 106,000
June 30, 1980 102,700
June 30, 1985 100,900
January 1, 1989 103,512
June 30, 1997 105,700
December 31, 2002 103,448

¹ census data

[edit] List of mayors of Hildesheim

[edit] Twinnings

Marketplace with town hall and Rolandbrunnen.
Marketplace with town hall and Rolandbrunnen.
Tempelhaus.
Tempelhaus.

[edit] Main sights

  • The historic Marketplace (Markt), once considered the most beautiful marketplace in the world. It was reconstructed in 1984-1990 to its former splendour, after its destruction in the 1945 air raid. The more noteworthy building in the square are:
    • The Knochenhauer-Amtshaus ("Butchers' Guild Hall"), once known as the most beautiful and finest specimen of half-timbered building in the world. Destroyed in 1945, it was reconstructed from 1987 to 1989 according to original plans. The facade is sumptuously decorated with colorful paintings and German proverbs. Today the building houses a restaurant and the City Museum.
    • The Town Hall, erected in the 13th century in Gothic style. Partly destroyed in 1945, it was rebuilt between 1954 and 1989.
    • The Tempelhaus, a late-Gothic 15th-century patrician house, which today houses a bookshop and the tourist information office. It suffered some damage during the World war II but was restored in 1952.
    • The Wedekindhaus, a 16th-century patrician house, is characterized by its high, ornately carved storeys including their ledges with depictions of allegorical figures.
  • The Romanesque St. Mary's Cathedral, with its ancient bronze doors (Bernward's door) (c. 1015). It is in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. The Thousand-Year-Old Rosebush is a 1,000 years old rose, allegedly the world's oldest living rose. It continues to flourish on the wall of the Cathedral.
    • Museum of the Cathedral: Cathedral Treasure.
  • St. Michael's Church (UNESCO World Heritage Site) - one of the most beautiful early romanic churches in Germany and a unique example of Ottonian architecture.
  • The Andreaskirche (St. Andrew's church), a 12th-century church with the highest church steeple of Lower Saxony.
  • The Roemer-und-Pelizaeus-Museum, with significant collections from the ancient Egypt and Peru and spectacular special exhibitions organized every year.

Other places of interest include the Theatre, offering opera, operetta and musicals, drama, ballet and concerts, the medieval-appearing half-timbered houses and the old Jewish quarter.

Knochenhauer-Amtshaus, ca. 1895
Half Timbered house (Umgestülpter Zuckerhut), ca. 1900; destroyed in 1945
St. Michael's Church, UNESCO World Heritage
St. Andreas, 114 m high spire.

[edit] Events of international interest

[edit] Economy

Hildesheim is home to notable multinational corporations - besides many strong medium-sized companies - in Hildesheim are Blaupunkt, Bosch, Krupp, Thyssen, Fairshild, Phoenix and Coca-Cola.

[edit] Transportation

Hildesheim has an efficient traffic infrastructure: it is a regional hub for interstate roads and railroad (high speed railroad station), is connected to the motorway (Autobahn), has a harbor at the artificial waterway Mittellandkanal and an airport.

[edit] Notable people from Hildesheim

[edit] External links

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