Hildesheim is a district (''Landkreis'') in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Hanover, Peine, Wolfenbüttel, Goslar, Northeim,

Holzminden Holzminden (; nds, Holtsminne) is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Holzminden. It is located on the river Weser, which at this point forms the border with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Histor ...

and Hamelin-Pyrmont.

History

In 1885 the Prussian government established districts within the Province of Hanover. The present territory of the district was occupied by four districts: Hildesheim, Alfeld, Gronau and Marienburg. In 1932 the district of Gronau joined Alfeld, and the number of districts was reduced to three. When the state of Lower Saxony was founded in 1946, the districts were reorganised: Hildesheim became an urban district, the remaining district of Hildesheim and Marienburg were merged to the new district of Hildesheim-Marienburg. The district of Alfeld remained in its former borders. In 1974 the city of Hildesheim lost its status as an urban district and became part of the surrounding district, which was renamed to Hildesheim. The districts of Hildesheim and Alfeld were merged in 1977.

Geography

The district is located southeast of Hanover, and the northernmost parts border the Hanover metropolitan area. The northern half of the district is highly urbanised, while the south is covered with forests. The River

Leine The Leine (; Old Saxon ''Lagina'') is a river in Thuringia and Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Aller and the Weser and is long. The river's source is located close to the town of Leinefelde in Thuringia. About downriver, t ...

enters the district in the south, runs through the towns of Alfeld and Gronau and leaves in the northwest towards Hanover; a small affluent, the Innerste, joins the Leine from the east after flowing through the city of Hildesheim. Between Leine and Innerste there are the forested hill chains of the

Hildesheim Forest The Hildesheim Forest (german: Hildesheimer Wald) is a range of hills up to in the district of Hildesheim in the German state of Lower Saxony. Geography The Hildesheim Forest is located in the Innerste Uplands, part of the Lower Saxon Hills ...

(''Hildesheimer Wald'') and the Sieben Berge ("Seven Hills", see Alfeld for more details).

Coat of arms

The coat of arms displays: * the eagle from the arms of the city of Hildesheim * the deer antler, taken from the former district of Alfeld, represents the Germanic tribe of the

Cherusci The Cherusci were a Germanic tribe that inhabited parts of the plains and forests of northwestern Germany in the area of the Weser River and present-day Hanover during the first centuries BC and AD. Roman sources reported they considered themsel ...

(="deer

* the rose stands for Hildesheim's Thousand-year Rose at St. Mary's Cathedral

Towns and municipalities

References

External links