In 1367 Hildesheim became a member of the Hanseatic League. Construction of the present Town Hall started in 1268. For four centuries the clergy ruled Hildesheim, before a town Hall was built and the citizens gained some influence and independence. When Hildesheim obtained city status in 1249, it was one of the biggest cities in Northern Germany. The present market place of Hildesheim was laid out at the beginning of the 13th century when the city had about 5,000 inhabitants. When the city grew further, a larger market place became necessary. The first marketplace was laid out around the church St. Originally the market was held in a street called Alter Markt (Old Market) which still exists today. The settlement around the cathedral very quickly developed into a town and was granted market rights by King Otto III in 983. The city is one of the oldest cities in Northern Germany, became the seat of the Bishopric of Hildesheim in 815 and may have been founded when the bishop moved from Elze to the ford across the River Innerste, which was an important market on the Hellweg trade route. According to tradition, the city was named after its notorious founder Hildwin.
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