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The Legend of the Rose/St Marys Cathedral and St. Michaels Church in Hildesheim

Hildesheim in northwest Germany dates back over 1000 years. The town has a history dating back over 1000 years and has overcome the ravages of WWII.Roses that are grown throughout the town come into bloom in spring and summer. The town has a legendary connection with roses.

The cathedral is the pride of the town and is inscribed as World Heritage. It was originally built in 872, and many artworks from that time still remain inside.

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This chandelier represents the New Jerusalem as written in the bible, a realm where the innocent live after the Last Judgement.The Pillar of Christ is 4.7 meters high and made of bronze. Reliefs on the pillar depict all of the miracles of Jesus in a spiral from the bottom to the top. Jesus warning his 12 disciples of forthcoming events. Jesus stretching his hand out to heal the sick.

A wild rose tree grows in the church courtyard. 15 meters tall, it is believed to be the oldest wild rose tree in the world. The tree was blooming here even before the church was built. There is a legend about this wild rose. Once upon a time, a king while out hunting lost a sacred relic containing a lock of St. Marys hair. His men looked everywhere and finally found it in the forest, hanging on a wild rose tree. The king thanked God and built a cathedral where the rose tree stood.

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In March 1945, a crisis threatening the trees survival occurred. The town The town was bombed during an air-raid which left the cathedral severely damaged. The tree was buried under the debris.

Rebuilding the cathedral seemed an almost impossible task until the branches emerged from the debris and beautiful roses bloomed. The roses brought hope to the people and encouraged them not only to rebuild the cathedral but also the whole town. Since then, this tree has been carefully protected and maintained by authorised caretakers to this day.

After the war, people started saying, if the rose is fine, the town is fine. If the rose blooms, the town also will. The first bloom of the church rose makes news in this town and is reported as the headline of the local newspaper every year.

It is a very important matter for the citizens of Hildesheim, as it is tied to the prosperity of the town. People look forward to the blossoms to come out every year. Of course we would write about it. A town once completely devastated Hildesheim came back to life with its rose-buds and became a beautiful town once again. Locals say that if the church rose blooms, the town too will prosper. Emerging from the ravages of war, a new legend was born and still blooms here in Hildesheim.

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