© Stadtarchiv Mainz, BPSP 1389 / C 2
St. John's Church, primarily styled in Carolingian architecture, has undergone numerous exterior modifications over the centuries, resulting in various architectural influences visible today. The church partially stands on the remains of an earlier 4th and 5th-century church. The original structure was a basilica featuring a wide central nave, higher than its narrow side aisles, and included an east-west transept. Notably, its 13-meter-wide nave was considered monumental for its time. Initially, it is believed that the church was dedicated to Martin of Tours, the patron saint of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mainz. It was later consecrated to St. Salvator in 911 by Archbishop Hatto I and remained the cathedral for the Bishop of Mainz until Archbishop Willigis took office in 975.
With the construction of a new cathedral in the 11th century, this building was transformed into a collegiate church. Its transept was removed, and aisles were expanded to make the nave appear longer. The west chapel, added in the 14th century, likely included a chancel screen, the base of which was only recently discovered.
During the Baroque period, the church underwent significant changes. French occupying forces used it as a straw shed and army warehouse. The screen was removed, and the floor was raised. In 1828, the Protestant community of Mainz acquired the church, refurbishing it with an organ, a central pulpit, and galleries along the nave. In 1906, Friedrich Pützer redesigned the interior in an Art Déco style. The church suffered damage from an air raid in 1942, which set the church ablaze. St. John's was rededicated in 1956 after an extensive restoration in historicising style by Karl Gruber.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. AI MAINZ. (2019). Mainz um 1200, St. Johannis. In: Sketchfab. [3D Model]
2. Faccani, G. (2022). Mainz, St. Johannis : Einhundertundzehn Jahre Bauforschung in einer Kirche. In: C. Sapin, S. Bully, M. Bizri, & F. Henrion (eds.), Archéologie du bâti. Aujourd’hui et demain (1–). ARTEHIS Éditions. https://doi.org/10.4000/books.artehis.29594.