One of The World’s Oldest Roses is growing in the courtyard of Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany.
Said to be over 1000 years old it is climbing the apse in the cathedral courtyard to a height of some 15 meters
The rose is a symbol of the city and its prosperity, and legend has it that Hildesham will never decline as long as the rose keeps blooming. The legend was confirmed during World War 11 as the rose survived the bomb attacks in 1945 that destroyed the cathedral, and grew new shoots a few weeks later.
The rose was blooming here even before the church was built. There is a legend about the rose. Once upon a time, a king while out hunting lost a sacred relic containing a lock of St. Mary’s hair. His men looked everywhere and finally found it in the forest, hanging on a wild rose tree. The king thanked God and built a cathedral where the rose tree stood.
