Christuskirche (Mainz)

The Christ Church of Mainz is a Protestant church and was built in 1896-1903 to designs by Edward Kreyßig. In 1894 the church council convened an urban design competition, were awarded in three out of five designs. Besides Kreyßigs first draft that were singled Skjold Neckelmann and John Otzen. The difficult because of its proximity to the Rhine static tests and calculations were carried out by Theodor Landsberg, Technical University of Darmstadt. On 2 July 1903, the church was consecrated. After the destruction during air raids on Mainz on February 1, 1945 it was rebuilt from 1952 to 1954 and was consecrated on 31 October. The consecration service was set to music by the Laubacher Kantorei.

In the Catholic tradition Mainz were counted at the end of the electorate in 1802 just a few hundred Protestants. Only Napoleon Bonaparte granted the respective religious minorities with the right to free exercise of religion and the full rights of citizenship. Before, they were merely " Tolerated " in the city, a status that they shared with the Jews. By 1900, more than a third of the population Mainz Protestant faith was already ( confessional distribution of the population of the city of Mainz).

After them their previous church was too small, provided the extension of the city center around the so-called New Town in the last third of the 19th century, the Mainz Protestants the possibilities with a new church building to make a mark of their self- consciousness. With the Imperial Road, a large double-barreled Boulevard, is clearly visible in the center of the city designed by the architect Eduard Kreyßig church was built. Meant as a representative counterweight to the Catholic Mainz Cathedral towers over the mighty dome churches and other buildings downtown. The construction is reminiscent of the style of the Italian High Renaissance.

In addition to worship the Christ Church is often used by music lovers in Mainz so regularly since 1954 by the justified by Diethard Hellmann at this church Bach Choir and Bach Orchestra Mainz. Traditionally can find the services of the University of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz beginning of the semester instead.

Aerial view of Christ Church in Mainz am Rhein

The Christ Church on the day of its inauguration on July 2, 1903

Christ Church