Marktkirche

The Marktkirche stands on the Schlossplatz, the central square of Wiesbaden, capital of Hesse. It is the city's main Protestant church, built in neo-Gothic style between 1853 and 1862. After a fire destroyed the medieval church of St. Mauritius here in 1850, the remaining structure proved too unstable to keep. Carl Boos became architect in 1851, and after several proposed sites the central square carried the day. At the time it was the largest brick building in the Duchy of Nassau. You may also hear it called the Cathedral of Nassau.

Boos modelled the design on Berlin's Friedrichswerder Church and gave it five towers, an unusual scheme that drew criticism. The main tower climbs to about 98 metres, which makes it the tallest building in Wiesbaden. Inside, the hall runs 50 metres long and 20 metres wide, with galleries ringing the space. The Walcker organ dates from 1863, and an expansion in 1982 brought it to 85 registers. Higher up, at 65 metres in the tower, hang 49 bronze bells, the heaviest weighing 2.2 tonnes. Together they make the largest carillon in Hesse, inaugurated on Reformation Day in 1986.

Music belongs here as much as brick does. Max Reger performed in this church, and choirs and organists still hold a steady round of services and concerts. The Rheingau Musik Festival numbers the building among its venues, and the church is wheelchair accessible. The vault, painted as a starry sky, hangs 28 metres above the floor.