Hiking Highlight
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The St. Magdalenen is a Roman Catholic former monastery church from 1224.
The most important piece of equipment in the Magdalenenkirche is the late Gothic passion altar in the high choir, which is called the Elffenaltar. This winged altar was made from linden wood around 1515 and depicts scenes from the Passion of Christ with many figures and dramatically. Following the example of Tilman Riemenschneider, the artist achieved the desired expressiveness without colored painting simply by working the wood. The elf altar is counted among the best works of its kind.
hildesheimer-geschichte.de/die-kirche/die-hildesheimer-kirchen-1/magdalenen-kirche
November 9, 2020
In 1224, Bishop Konrad II founded a convent for the Magdalenes on the Innerste bank in front of the western city wall. A provisional convent church was soon followed by the current building, which was consecrated in 1294 and was the first Gothic building in Hildesheim. When the Council of Hildesheim decided to introduce the Reformation, the monasteries remained untouched under the protection of the episcopal ruler. The Magdalene convent existed until secularization at the beginning of the 19th century. Since then, the church has been the property of the Hanover Monastery Chamber. Since St. Michael's had become Lutheran, with the exception of the crypt and the convent buildings, St. Magdalene also became the parish church for the Catholics of the northern old town. The relics of St. Bernward were transferred here from St. Michael's Church. In the 15th century, the church was converted into a hall. In the 18th century, early Baroque portals were added, as well as, shortly before the turn of the 19th century, Rococo furnishings. Parts of a high altar created at the beginning of the 15th century as the work of an unknown master, which show the legend of St. Magdalene, are now in various museums, for example in the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart. When Hildesheim was destroyed on March 22, 1945, the St. Magdalene Church was also badly hit and burned down. The restoration in a partially simplified form and furnishings was not completed until 1961.
Source: Wikipedia
March 21, 2022
St. Magdalenen is a Roman Catholic former monastery church on the edge of the old town of Hildesheim. The adjacent Magdalen Garden is also very beautiful.
October 15, 2023
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