St Michael's Church

St. Michael's Church in Hildesheim, Germany is one of the rarest churches in Germany that was built in the famous Romanesque architectural pattern. Owing to its rarity and archaic value, this Church of St. Michael has been marked as the World Cultural Heritage building by the UNESCO. The church was consecrated in the year 1033 and is commonly referred to as Michaeliskirche by the Germans.

Location:

With River Innerste to the west, Hildesheim's downtown to the east and Gymnasium Andreanum school in the north, St. Michael's Church is located at the western border of Hildesheim, on top of the St. Michael's Hill.

Architecture:

One of the most significant amongst the churches in Ottonic, the St. Michael's Church in Hildesheim, Germany is built in Romanesque style and has a two choir basilica along with a square shaped tower and two transcepts. While there are two main entrances to the church on the northern and southern sides respectively, there are two small entrances on each of the apses. The beautiful painted wooden ceiling is extremely eye-catching and is thus famous. The exclusiveness of the ceiling lies in the fact that it contains Christ's genealogical tree. Beside the beautiful ceiling and the entrances, the large choirs, the cloisters, the clerestory, the magnificent round arches and the gorgeous aisles add to the beauty of the St. Michael's Church, Hildesheim, Germany. Also, the special Gothic style windows that look stunning during the day are worth mentioning.

History:

St. Michael's Church, Hildesheim, Germany, built under the supervision and guidance of Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim took almost 30 years to be completed. Constructed way back in the years 1001-1031, the church was named after the Christian angel of death, archangel Michael and originally served as a chapel of the Bishop's Benedictine monastery. After the death of Bernward, his successor Godehard, transferred his remains to the crypt of the church. Since its creation to now, the Benedictine monastery remained catholic, although St. Michael's Church became Protestants during the Reformation in 1542.