Verden (Aller) is a town in northern Germany known for the 782 massacre of 4,500 Saxons ordered by Charlemagne, its Gothic cathedral built from 1290-1490, and its role in horse breeding. The town has existed since around 450 CE when Saxons colonized the area, but was the site of the brutal massacre in 782 in response to Saxon rebellions against Frankish rule. A memorial site called Sachsenhain was built in the 1930s to commemorate the massacre victims. The cathedral dominates the town and was originally the seat of the Bishopric of Verden, housing religious services, school classes, and now also a small cemetery.