Historic Market Place, Hildesheim
Encyclopedia
The Historic Market Place is one of the most famous sights in the city of Hildesheim
in Lower Saxony
, Germany
Hildesheim, one of the oldest cities in the North of Germany, was founded in 815 as a bishopric close to a ford of the river Innerste
. The settlement very quickly developed into a town which was awarded market rights
by King Otto III
in 983. Originally the market was held in a street called Old Market (Alter Markt) which still exists today. The first market place was laid out around Saint Andrew's Church
. When the city grew further, a bigger market place became necessary. The present market place of Hildesheim was laid out at the beginning of the 13th century when the city had about 5,000 inhabitants. When Hildesheim obtained city rights
in 1249, it was one of the biggest cities in Northern Germany. Construction of the present City Hall started in 1268. Several impressive half-timbered houses were built in the Market Place as well. The Butchers' Guild Hall was the tallest and the most famous of them.
During World War II
, Hildesheim suffered severe bomb damage. On 22 March 1945
the half-timbered houses of the market place were destroyed by incendiary bombs, and the City Hall and the Temple House, a patrician house dating from the 14th century, which were built of sandstone
, were severely damaged.
In the 1950s the houses which had been completely destroyed were replaced by concrete buildings with flat roofs. One of these buildings was used by the Municipal Savings Bank. The Butchers' Guild Hall was replaced by a hotel which was built from 1962-64. Only the City Hall and the Temple House were rebuilt in the original style.
At the beginning of the 1980s, the hotel in the Market Place went bankrupt and the expanding Municipal Savings Bank needed a larger building. On this occasion, the City Council decided to tear down the concrete buildings and to reconstruct the historic Market Place of Hildesheim in the original style.
The reconstruction was started in the Western part of the Market Place in 1983. Many inhabitants of Hildesheim donated money for the project and provided old photos and drawings. In some cases, old construction plans were preserved. The first houses, rebuilt in the original style, were inaugurated on 23 March 1986. Afterwards, the Eastern part of the Market place was rebuilt and the Market Fountain dating from 1542 was restored. A large public garage was built under the Market place as well. The Butchers' Guild Hall and the smaller adjoining Bakers' Guild Hall were the last buildings to be reconstructed. They were inaugurated in December 1989. Many people called the project of reconstruction
"The miracle of Hildesheim".
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
in Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
History
Innerste
The Innerste is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Leine river and 95 km in length.- Origin of the name :...
. The settlement very quickly developed into a town which was awarded market rights
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
by King Otto III
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto III , a King of Germany, was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. He was elected King in 983 on the death of his father Otto II and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 996.-Early reign:...
in 983. Originally the market was held in a street called Old Market (Alter Markt) which still exists today. The first market place was laid out around Saint Andrew's Church
St. Andreaskirche, Hildesheim
The St Andreas Church is the principal Lutheran church of Hildesheim, Germany, not to be confounded with the Catholic Hildesheim Cathedral. Its tower is tall, making it the tallest church tower in Lower Saxony; it is accessible and offers a panoramic view of both the city and surrounding...
. When the city grew further, a bigger market place became necessary. The present market place of Hildesheim was laid out at the beginning of the 13th century when the city had about 5,000 inhabitants. When Hildesheim obtained city rights
Town privileges
Town privileges or city rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium.Judicially, a town was distinguished from the surrounding land by means of a charter from the ruling monarch that defined its privileges and laws. Common privileges were related to trading...
in 1249, it was one of the biggest cities in Northern Germany. Construction of the present City Hall started in 1268. Several impressive half-timbered houses were built in the Market Place as well. The Butchers' Guild Hall was the tallest and the most famous of them.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Hildesheim suffered severe bomb damage. On 22 March 1945
Bombing of Hildesheim in World War II
The German city of Hildesheim, ca. 30 kilometres south of Hanover was target of several Allied air raids in 1945.-Hildesheim during World War II:In 1939, Hildesheim had about 72,000 inhabitants...
the half-timbered houses of the market place were destroyed by incendiary bombs, and the City Hall and the Temple House, a patrician house dating from the 14th century, which were built of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, were severely damaged.
In the 1950s the houses which had been completely destroyed were replaced by concrete buildings with flat roofs. One of these buildings was used by the Municipal Savings Bank. The Butchers' Guild Hall was replaced by a hotel which was built from 1962-64. Only the City Hall and the Temple House were rebuilt in the original style.
At the beginning of the 1980s, the hotel in the Market Place went bankrupt and the expanding Municipal Savings Bank needed a larger building. On this occasion, the City Council decided to tear down the concrete buildings and to reconstruct the historic Market Place of Hildesheim in the original style.
The reconstruction was started in the Western part of the Market Place in 1983. Many inhabitants of Hildesheim donated money for the project and provided old photos and drawings. In some cases, old construction plans were preserved. The first houses, rebuilt in the original style, were inaugurated on 23 March 1986. Afterwards, the Eastern part of the Market place was rebuilt and the Market Fountain dating from 1542 was restored. A large public garage was built under the Market place as well. The Butchers' Guild Hall and the smaller adjoining Bakers' Guild Hall were the last buildings to be reconstructed. They were inaugurated in December 1989. Many people called the project of reconstruction
"The miracle of Hildesheim".
Sights and Architecture
The Historic Market Place of Hildesheim was once considered one of the most beautiful market places in the world. The most noteworthy buildings in the square are:- The Knochenhauer-Amtshaus ("Butchers' Guild HallButchers' Guild Hall, HildesheimThe Butchers' Guild Hall is a half-timbered house in Hildesheim in the federal state of Lower Saxony, Germany.- History and Architecture :...
"), known as a beautiful and fine specimen of half-timbered building. Originally built in 1529 in a gothic style and destroyed in 1945, it was reconstructed from 1987 to 1989 according to original plans. 400 cubic meters of oak wood, 7,500 wooden pegs and 19,000 roof tiles, which were nearly 200 years old, were used. The façade is sumptuously decorated with colorful paintings and German proverbs. Today the building houses a restaurant and the City Museum.
- The adjoining Bäckeramtshaus (Bakers' Guild Hall) was originally built in 1825, replacing a much older guildhall. Like the other wooden buildings, it was destroyed on 22 March 1945. For the reconstruction, 70 cubic meters of oakOakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
wood were used. The foundation stone was laid on 27 October 1987, and the Roofing Ceremony was held on 31 October 1988. The Bakers' Guild Hall, which houses a café today, was inaugurated in December 1989.
- The City Hall, erected in GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style, is one of the oldest city halls in Germany. The construction was started in 1268 and completed in 1290, using sandstone from a local quarry which still can be seen in a forest in Hildesheim called Steinberg (Stone Mountain). Frequently remodelled over the centuries (e.g. in 1375, 1454 and 1883–87) and heavily damaged in 1945, the City Hall was rebuilt after the war and inaugurated in 1954. One of its towers, which remained nearly undamaged during the war, dates from the 13th century and is called "Lilie" (Lily). The origin of the name is uncertain. The tower consists of very thick walls (2 meters) and may have been a tower of the first city wall which was torn down when the city expanded and a new market place was necessary. Some of the windows of the "Lilie" are very small and look like firing slits. In the Eastern wall of the "Lilie", there is a noteworthy medieval relievo consting of a sentence carved in gothic letters into the stone: Dat is de garenmathe which means "Das ist das Garnmaß" in the German language of today (That is the yarn measure). Around the inscription, the shape of a medieval measure still can be seen. The other tower which was added to the City Hall looks similar to the "Lilie", but it is much younger. It was built at the end of the 19 century. Like the "Lilie", this tower remained almost undamaged in World war II.
- The Tempelhaus (Temple House), a late-Gothic 14th century patricianPatricianshipPatricianship, the quality of belonging to a patriciate, began in the ancient world, where cities such as Ancient Rome had a class of patrician families whose members were the only people allowed to exercise many political functions...
house, which today houses the tourist information office. The origin of the name is unknown. It might refer to a synagogue which was mentioned in a document written in 1385, as the house stands at the corner of a small street called "Judenstrasse" (Jews' Street). In 1322, the street name Judenstrasse was mentioned in a document for the first time. In the late Middle Ages, however, the Jews of Hildesheim lived in a quarter called LappenbergLappenbergLappenberg is an historic street in Hildesheim, a city in Lower Saxony in Germany. It was the center of the Jewish community.-Location:Lappenberg is a street with a triangular place. It is in the South of the district Neustadt between Wollenweberstrasse, another historic street, and Neues Tor, a...
which is another of the sights of Hildesheim, about one kilometer away from the Market Place. The Tempelhaus was remodelled several times, and in the 16th century the two round towers were added. In 1591, a very impressive RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
bay window with colourful stone carvings was added to the Temple House. At the beginning of the war, the bay window was dismantled and hidden in a cellar. The house suffered some damage during the Second World War but was restored and inaugurated in 1950 after the bay window had been added again.
- The Wedekindhaus (Wedekind House), a patrician house dating from 1598, is characterized by its high, ornately carved storeys including their ledges with depictions of allegorical figures. The building has been the headquarters of the Municipal Savings Bank since the 1950s. It was the first half-timbered house of the Market Place to be reconstructed. The inauguration was on 23 March 1986.
- The adjoining Lüntzelhaus (Lüntzel House) was originally built in 1755 in a baroque style. The name refers to a family to whom the house belonged in the 18th century. Like the Wedekindhaus, it is used by the Municipal Savings Bank today.
- The Rolandhaus (Roland House) with its stepped gables was originally built at the beginning of the 14th century in a gothic style. In 1750, a large baroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
bay window was added and the façade was remodelled in a baroque style with a representative portalPortal (architecture)Portal is a general term describing an opening in the walls of a building, gate or fortification, and especially a grand entrance to an important structure. Doors, metal gates or portcullis in the opening can be used to control entry or exit. The surface surrounding the opening may be made of...
. The windows of the upper floors, however, still represent the typical gothic shape. The name of the house refers to a merchant who bought the house in 1757. After the destruction on 22 March 1945, the portal and a part of the bay window remained standing, but were torn down when the concrete buildings were to be erected in the 1950s.
- The Stadtschänke (City Tavern) on the North side of the Market Place was originally built in 1666. It is on the corner of "Kaneelstrasse" (Cinnamon Street), a small lane which in 1418 was mentioned in a document for the first time. Today the Stadtschänke, together with the adjoining smaller RococoRococoRococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
House dating from 1757, houses a hotel. The Rococo house has a façade decorated with stucco ornaments.
- The Wollenwebergildehaus (Weavers' Guild Hall), another large half-timbered house, was originally built approximately in 1600. It is on the corner of "Seilwinderstrasse" (Ropemaker Street), a small lane which in 1432 was mentioned in a document for the first time.
- The Market Fountain dating from 1542 is adorned with a watchman's figure and with sandstone relievoes.