HILDESHEIM, the chief town of a district in the province of Hanover, Prussia, is beautifully situated on the right bank of the Innerste, 18 miles south-east of Hanover by railway. It has a very antique and quaint appearance, and is surrounded by old ramparts which have been converted into shady alleys and promenades. The streets are for the most part narrow and irregular, and contain many old houses with overhanging upper stories and richly and curiously adorned wooden façades. The town is the seat of a district governorship, a high court of justice, two justice courts, a general superintendency of the Evangelical Church, and a Roman Catholic chapter. The Catholic cathedral, which occupies the site of a building founded by Louis the Pious in 818, dates from the middle of the 11th century. It is chiefly remarkable for the antiquities and notable works of art connected with it, including the bronze doors executed by Bishop Bernward, with reliefs from the history of Adam and Christ; the so-called Trmensäule, at one time believed to have been erected, before it was transferred to its present site, in honour of the Saxon idol Irmin, but now regarded as belonging to an old Roman aqueduct; the Christ column by Bishop Bernward, adorned with reliefs from the history of the Saviour; a brazen font of the 13th century, two candelabra of the 12th century, the sarcophagus of St Godehard, the tomb of St Epiphanius, and an immense number of minor articles of ecclesiastical furniture. The rose-bush on the wall of the crypt is alleged to be a thousand years old. Among the other churches those of special interest are St Godehard’s church, completed in 1172 and restored in 1863, a remarkably fine specimen of the Romanesque style, with three massive pyramidal towers; the church of St ...Michael, an almost equally fine specimen of Romanesque, founded by Bishop Bernward, and restored in 1186 after injury by fire, containing a beautiful painted ceiling of the 12th century, and the tomb and monument of Bishop Bernward; St Magdalene’s church, which possesses various works in metal by Bishop Bernward; St Martin’s church, now used as a museum and library; the Lutheran church of St Andrew, with very lofty towers; and the fine columnar basilica of the abbey church of Moritzburg, a suburb half a mile south-west of the town. The other principal buildings are the townhouse, dating from the 15 th century, and containing the archives of the town; the house in the late Gothic style said, but erroneously, to have been built by the Knights Templars; the Michaelis monastery, now used as a lunatic asylum; and the old Carthusian monastery. The educational establishments include a Catholic and a Lutheran gymnasium, a Catholic normal school, a weaving school, and an agricultural school. The other principal public institutions are the Georgstift for daughters of state servants, the maternity hospital, two orphanages, and several other hospitals and infirmaries. The town has iron foundries, manufactures of cloth, damasks, linen fabrics, thread, sail-cloth, wadding, leather, machines, carriages, stoves, glass, tobacco, alcohol, perfumeries, chocolate, and starch. The population in 1875 was 22,581.
Hildesheim, though previously in existence, owes its rise and prosperity to the transference to it in 822 of the bishopric instituted by Charlemagne at Elze in 812. In the 10th century its importance was largely increased under Bishop Bernward, who, if he did not introduce, greatly stimulated by his example and patronage the art of working in metals, for which the town retained a high reputation until the close of the Middle Ages. It also obtained considerable fame by its cathedral school, at which several sons of the emperors received their education. In 1241 it joined the Hanseatic League, and in 1249 received town rights. It was frequently at feud with its bishops, and in the 14th century placed itself more than once under the protection of the house of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The bishops in the course of time had acquired considerable territory, but their feuds with the neighbouring princes resulted in 1523 in the annexation of a great part of their possessions to Brunswick. A restoration, however, took place in 1643, and in the beginning of the present century the principality amounted to 682 square miles. The last bishop of Hildesheim possessed also the bishopric of Paderborn, acquired by his predecessor. Both bishoprics were secularized and ceded to Prussia in 1803. In 1807 they were incorporated with the kingdom of "Westphalia, but in 1813 they were restored to Prussia, which ceded Hildesheim to Hanover, retaining only Paderborn. In 1866 the principality was united, along with Hanover, to Prussia.
On October 9,1868, a unique collection of ancient plate was discovered on the Galgenberg near Hildesheim, about 10 feet below the surface. This Hildesheimer Silberfund, as it is usually called, has excited great interest among classical archaeologists, comprising, as it does, no less than 60 pieces, or a complete service for three persons—plates, dishes, mixing-bowls, &c. The workmanship evidently "belongs to the Augustan age, and by some authorities it is conjectured that we have nothing less than the plate that belonged to Drusus, himself. The most noteworthy of the pieces are a crater richly ornamented with arabesques and figures of children, a platter with a representation of Minerva, and others with a boy Hercules, a Cybele, and a Deus Lunus. The whole collection is preserved in the Berlin Museum. For details see Wieseler, Der Hildesheimer Silberfund, Bonn, 1868.
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