St. Godehard, Hildesheim

St. Godehard
St. Godehard
Basilika St. Godehard
	52°8′43″N 9°57′1″E / 52.14528°N 9.95028°E
Denomination	Catholic
Website	www.st-godehard-hildesheim.de
History
Dedication	St. Godehard;
Consecrated	1172
Architecture
Functional status	Minor Basilica
Architectural type	basilica with 2 apses
Style	Romanesque
Specifications
Number of spires	3
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Hildesheim

St. Godehard is a church in Hildesheim, Germany, formerly the church of a Benedictine abbey.^[1] It remained almost unaltered through the centuries and was not damaged much in World War II. It is one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in Germany.

It is a church of the Catholic parish Heilig Kreuz. The basilica has served as the "cathedral" of the bishop of Hildesheim from 1945 to 1960, when the Hildesheim Cathedral was destroyed and rebuilt, and from 2010, when restoration of the cathedral began.^[1] The Hezilo chandelier was installed in St. Godehard during the restoration time.^[2]

History

Godehard of Hildesheim, a Benedictine and an influential bishop of Hildesheim from 1022 to 1038, was canonized in 1133. The same year, Bishop Bernard of Hildesheim founded the monastery and church in his honour. The church was completed in 1172 and consecrated by Bischof Adelog to St. Mary and St. Godehard.^[1]

In 1963, it was awarded the title of a Basilica minor by Pope Paul VI.^[2]

The former convent buildings are used for the Fachhochschule für Verwaltung und Rechtspflege (University of Applied Sciences for administration and law).^[3]