St Stephan zu Mainz Germany

St. Stephan zu Mainz, Germany is also known as the Collegiate Church of St. Stephan. It is a Gothic collegiate church located in Mainz, in the western part of Germany. The St. Stephan zu Mainz, Germany was originally built in 990 AD under Archbishop Willigis. The church was founded atop the highest hill in town. Willigis wanted the St. Stephan zu Mainz to be the site of prayer for the Empire. The provost of the Collegiate Church administered one of the archdeaconates, a medieval organization similar to that of the diaconates, of the Archbishopric of Mainz.

The church building, as it stands today, dates from the late medieval era; the construction began in 1267. It was completed in 1340. St. Stephan zu Mainz, Germany was designed as a double quire church and is the oldest Gothic hall church in the Upper Rhine district. A few changes have been made since 14th century. The cloister was added between 1462 and 1499 to the south, with the outer face being updated in the Baroque Period
(17th century). In 1857, an explosion in a powder magazine destroyed the Baroque façade of the church. The cloister was rebuilt between 1968 and 1971.

As for the furnishings, the Chagall Windows in St. Stephan zu Mainz are unique in Germany. Between 1978 and 1985, Russian artist Marc Chagall created nine stained glass windows of scriptural figures in incandescent blue. Despite the immense damage that was wrought by the WWII as well as the powder explosion to the 13th century altar, Mensa or table, and the massive tabernacle of about 1500 AD, both have survived. The St. Stephan zu Mainz was the place where Archbishop Willigis was buried in the year 1011. Although where he rests is unknown, it is believed that he is buried in the collegiate area.