Prayers in Color

The Carmelite Church in Mainz (Karmeliterkirche) and the associated convent were established in the 14th century. Construction began in 1326. From... more

by Sarah Loft

Title

Prayers in Color

Artist

Sarah Loft

Medium

Photograph - Photograph With Added Texture

Description

The Carmelite Church in Mainz (Karmeliterkirche) and the associated convent were established in the 14th century. Construction began in 1326. From 1700 to 1713 the church was rebuilt in the Baroque style. The monastery and church functioned until 1802 when they were closed. The City of Mainz, which took possession, used the buildings as a school from 1812 until the 1830s when they began to be used as warehouses. In 1913 the City contemplated turning it all into a museum, but the funds didn't materialize and in 1922 the City Council decided to demolish the complex. Due to massive protests, that plan was tabled and in 1924 Dutch Carmelites were permitted to take it over and re-open. Restoration was on-going over many years and some re-building and massive restorations were required due to damage during WWII. The painted vaulted ceilings were restored in 1952.

Per Wikipedia: Mainz is the capital of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It was the capital of the Electorate of Mainz at the time of the Holy Roman Empire. In antiquity Mainz was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire; it was founded as a military post by the Romans in the late 1st century BC and became the provincial capital of Germania Superior. The city is located on the river Rhine at its confluence with the Main opposite Wiesbaden, in the western part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main; in the modern age, Frankfurt shares much of its regional importance.

The city is famous as the home of the invention of the movable-type printing press, as the first books printed using movable type were manufactured in Mainz by Gutenberg in the early 1450s. Until the twentieth century, Mainz was usually referred to in English as Mayence.

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February 5th, 2017