Elze is a town in the
district of Hildesheim, in
Lower Saxony,
Germany. It is situated on the river
Leine, approximately west of
Hildesheim. The municipality of Elze also comprises the villages of
Esbeck, Mehle, Sehlde, Sorsum, Wittenburg and
Wülfingen. Elze is one of the oldest settlement in the area, as its name stems from , a castle of
Charlemagne which he had established about 800 in the
Saxon estates after his victory over duke
Widukind in the
Saxon Wars. The emperor also founded a missionary diocese here, dedicated to
Saints Peter and Paul which became the origin of the
Bishopric of Hildesheim. King
Louis the Pious relocated the episcopal see to Hildesheim in 815, however the
Lutheran parish church is still devoted to Peter and Paul and the saints are also depicted in the town's coat of arms.