The life and work of Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) continue to exert an unbroken fascination to this day. Her consistency in faith, courage, and personal commitment made her a figure of identification that transcended her time. Early on, the mystic born in Bermersheim near Alzey entered the Benedictine monastery of Disibodenberg on the Nahe River. Rising to the position of abbess, she recorded her visions and conversations with Christ between 1141 and 1151; this resulted in the books "Know the Ways," a textbook on Christian ethics, and "On the Creation and Redemption of the World." Hildegard of Bingen wrote mystical-visionary texts, practiced as a healer and natural scientist, preached, and composed music. Her writings already generated a tremendous response among her contemporaries and led to an active correspondence with the most significant personalities of her time.