HildesheimHildesheim is located in the NW foothills of the Harz Mountains and lies in the flat valley of the Innerste. Thanks to the construction efforts of Bishop Bernward (993-1022) and his successors Hildesheim has become a main site of early Romanesque art. Many half-timbered houses (Fachwerkhäuser) can also be found here. Unfortunately 70% of the city was destroyed during an air raid just before the end of World War II. Many of the old buildings have been restored or reconstructed. Of particular note is the Michaeliskirche (11th & 12th cent.), one of the greatest romanesque basilikas in Germany, with its wooden ceiling. St. Bernward's stone coffin can be seen in the crypt. The cathedral (Dom) is a reconstruction of an 11th. century basilica. The interior has kept the original basilical simplicity. There are several fine works of art in the church. But to many the Dom is primarily known for the thousand year old rose tree. Legend has it that on an evening in 815 Ludwig the Debonair returned tired after a chase and hid his personal shrine in a rose bush before going to sleep. The following morning he could not find it. Taking this as a sign from heavan he founded first a chapel and then a bishopric on the spot. Hildesheim grew around this spot. In the winter of 1945, the rose bush, although apparently burnt in an air raid, suddenly burst into flower.
