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The Legend of the Rose, St. Mary's Cathedral and St. Michael's Church in Hildesheim.

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Hildesheim in northwest Germany dates back over 1000 years.

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Roses that are grown throughout the town come into bloom in spring and summer.

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The town has a legendary connection with roses.

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The cathedral is the pride of the town and is inscribed as World Heritage.

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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,

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a realm where the innocent live after the Last Judgment.

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The Pillar of Christ is 4.7 meters high and made of bronze.

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Reliefs on the pillar depict all of the miracles of Jesus in a spiral from the bottom to the top.

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A wild rose tree grows in the church courtyard.

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Fifteen meters tall, it is believed to be the oldest wild rose tree in the world.

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There is a legend about this wild rose.

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Once upon a time, a king while out hunting lost a sacred relic containing a lock of St. Mary's hair.

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His men looked everywhere and finally found it in the forest.

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His men looked everywhere and finally found it in the forest, hanging on a wild rose tree.

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The king thanked God and built a cathedral where the rose tree stood.

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In March 1945, the town was bombed during an air raid which left the cathedral severely damaged.

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The tree was buried under the debris.

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Rebuilding the cathedral seemed an almost impossible task

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until the branches emerged from the debris and beautiful roses bloomed.

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The roses brought hope to the people and encouraged them not only to rebuild the cathedral but also the whole town.

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Hildesheim came back to life with its rosebuds and became a beautiful town once again.

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Locals say that if the church rose blooms, the town too will prosper.