Stephanskirche, or St. Stephen’s Church, is one of the most visited attractions in Mainz – over 200,000 visitors a year. The church is a Gothic structure which was built between 1290 and 1338 incorporating an earlier church which stood here from 990. St. Stephen’s was badly damaged in 1857 when a gunpowder store blew up, and also almost destroyed in World War 2. Today it is most famed for its stained glass windows, created by Marc Chagall – an exiled Russian – in the 1970s and 80s. They bathe the church interior in a blue light and depict scenes from the Old Testament.
