The St. Christoph Memorial in Mainz’s Old Town is being expanded with new features that allow visitors to experience its history and architecture in a vivid and immediate way. The focal points are the newly constructed outdoor staircase leading to the tower, an information screen, and two bronze models depicting the former parish church as it stood before 1940 and the memorial’s current appearance. These are designed as “tactile models” and are intended, in particular, to provide people with visual impairments with access to the building’s history.

The restoration of the tower’s structural stability, the stone conservation measures, the new spire, and the observation deck and its access have been completed. 

The bronze model was unveiled by Mayor Nino Haase, Ludwig Holle, the department head for Construction, Monument Preservation, and Historical Heritage, and Hanna Schmitz, who had also supported the project with a generous donation. 

New Exterior Staircase Provides Access to the Tower

The newly constructed spiral staircase provides access to the tower and references the historic location of the former stair tower. It is designed as a self-supporting steel structure and leads from the exterior into the tower shaft. 

From March through May 2026, the earthwork and foundation for the new exterior staircase were completed. During this process, the archaeological preservation team uncovered and mapped the remains of the historic staircase. The foundation of the new staircase rests precisely on top of the old foundation. 

Mayor Nino Haase emphasized the significance of the memorial for Mainz’s culture of remembrance: “St. Christoph brings home to us the destruction of World War II and serves as a reminder to keep alive the memory of the consequences of war and violence. Especially in light of current global political developments, it becomes clear just how important peace, freedom, and respectful coexistence are.” 

At the same time, Haase recognized the commitment of the St. Christoph Initiative and, in particular, the private donors—Dr. Peter and Annette Wöhrlin and Ms. Hanna Schmitz—who made a significant contribution to preserving the city’s cultural heritage: “With the new outdoor staircase, the information screen, and the bronze models, we are carefully expanding the memorial. We are making its history accessible in various ways and enabling people to engage more deeply with this special place.”

Access to the tower involves a total of 150 steps: 34 on the outer spiral staircase, 10 on the passageway above the side aisle leading to the tower entrance, and another 106 inside the tower up to the observation deck. The cost of the exterior staircase amounts to approximately 400,000 euros gross.

Information screen conveys the history of the site

An information screen on the west wall of the southern side aisle complements the memorial’s educational offerings. It is already in operation and displays a slideshow on the history of the site daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. An English-language version was created by the mayor of Mainz’s Old Town, Dr. Brian Huck. The images come from the Mainz City Archives. The requirements of historic preservation were taken into account in the design and installation of the screen. The cost amounts to 20,600 euros.

Two bronze scale models bring the church’s transformation to life

Two bronze tactile models on a 1:100 scale illustrate, on site, the church’s historical condition prior to 1940 and the memorial’s current appearance. Both models stand on a granite pedestal in front of the side aisle.

As tactile models, they allow people with visual impairments to experience the church’s former form and its current appearance through touch. Supplementary information panels in Braille provide further details on the site’s history.

Ludwig Holle, Director of Construction, Historic Preservation, and Historical Heritage, emphasized the connection between development that respects historic preservation and contemporary historical education: “The new spiral staircase takes up the historic location of the former staircase and translates it into a unique architectural solution. The two bronze models illustrate the architectural development of the church and, thanks to their tactile design, also allow people with visual impairments direct access to the site’s history. This project demonstrates how the preservation of historical substance and new forms of historical interpretation can be combined.”

“I hope that many residents of Mainz and visitors to our city will take the opportunity to visit St. Christoph and discover the history of this special place through the new exhibits,” concluded Mayor Nino Haase. 

Background

The total cost of the project amounts to approximately 3.6 million euros. 

The total cost of the models and the associated services amounts to 39,500 euros. The majority of this sum is covered by a generous donation of 35,000 euros from Annette and Dr. Peter Wöhrlin. An additional 4,500 euros is being contributed by Hanna Schmitz, the widow of Stefan Schmitz, a patron who passed away in 2022. The project was initiated by Hartmut R. Raible and the St. Christoph Initiative, who are working together to bring the project to fruition.