The Azelin chandelier 1018 A.D is a Romanesque wheel chandelier, made in the 11th century for the Hildesheim Cathedral in Hildesheim, Germany, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site since 1985. It is the oldest of four extant wheel chandeliers from that period, along with the Hezilo chandelier, also in Hildesheim, the Barbarossa chandelier in the Aachen Cathedral, and the Hartwig chandelier in the Abbey of Comburg. It was believed to be donated by Bishop Azelin, however his predecessor Thietmar is more likely to be the patron. Therefore, the chandelier is also called the Thietmar chandelier (Thietmarleuchter).
The chandelier in the Hildesheim Cathedral above the altar, 2015
Detail
The chandelier in the church of St. Antonius, 2008
A wheel chandelier is a lighting installment, in the form of a chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the form of a spoked wheel. The oldest and most important examples derive from the Romanesque period.
Hezilo chandelier in Hildesheim Cathedral
Barbarossa chandelier in Aachen Cathedral
Hartwig's chandelier in Comburg
Electric wheel chandelier in St. Elisabeth Bonn