The Passenger

The icon of Hildesheim is the rose, a special one with an old myth creating its fame. It is said that in 815 CE emperor Louis the Pious was hunting in the region which later became Hildesheim. His horse broke down and he was lost, therefore he attached the relics of Mary which he was always carrying with him to a rose bush and started to pray. He fell asleep and when he woke up the bush was in full bloom. When he stated to built a chapel in this location he was found and rescued.

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The Michaeliskirche of Hildesheim is rather looking like a castle from afar, especially because of its towers. Since the Reformation it is a protestant church, but the crypt of Saint Bernward inside belongs to the Catholic church and is actively used by them. Yes, that’s a quite unusual but good solution. Since 1985 the church is (together with the cathedral) an official UNESCO world heritage site, they give insight into religious art during the Holy Roman Empire.

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What many people don’t know is that Hildesheim was once a location for military important productions. Different companies produced tank parts, fuzes, aircraft engines and torpedoes as well as machine parts that were needed for the tanks and lorries of the Wehrmacht. Because of that Hildesheim was seven times the target of British, Canadian and US-American air raids in 1944 and 1945. On March 22nd, 1945, the historic city center was destroyed by 90 percent. 1,300 of the once 1,500 half-timbered houses were lost in a firestorm.

Continue reading “Restoration”