The early Gothic parish church of St. Christopher's at Karmeliterplatz was built between 1292 and 1325. It was virtually destroyed during the heavy bomb raids on Mainz in 1942 and 1945. In 1963/64, a chapel was built on its ruins. St. Christopher's features a late Gothic baptismal font believed to be the font in which Johannes Gutenberg was baptised. The contemporary relief between the concrete pillars is the work of Heinz Hemrich.
In 2010, Stefan Schmitz, a well-known patron of the arts in the city, decided that something should be done about the dilapidated ruins of the former church. Together with like-minded people, he founded a group working towards restoring the site to a place of dignity, using public and private funds. With the city council of Mainz, a plan for a memorial to the bombardment of Mainz on 27 February 1945 was drawn up. The project was successfully completed before the 70th anniversary of this dreadful event.
Today, the ruins of the church and tower as well as the surrounding area are accessible to the public. An exhibition inside the church ruins explains the meaning of the memorial that has become a focal point of remembrance for the people of Mainz. Colourful glass panels illustrate the history of St. Christopher's and tell visitors of the time of the Nazi regime and the Second World War. Photographs from the time show the destruction Mainz had suffered by the end of the war.
