Saint Catherine's (Katharinenkirche), Frankfurt

Saint Catherine's (Katharinenkirche), Frankfurt

The Saint Catherine Church (Katherinenkirche), located near the busy Hauptwache Plaza in Frankfurt, is the largest Lutheran church in the city and was constructed between 1678 and 1681.

It stands on the site of a vestal cloister and hospital once run by the Teutonic Knights order. Later, a small parish church was built on the site which gained importance in history because, in 1522, it became the setting of the first protestant sermon in Frankfurt. The church was consecrated in 1681 and dedicated to the martyred Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

The single-vessel hall church had a tower at the side and ornamental gateways; just like many other buildings in the city, it was destroyed during the bombings of 1944. The parishioners and citizens of Frankfurt rebuilt the property in 1954, carefully reconstructing the original exterior, although with a somewhat simpler interior.

Among the well-known parishioners who have worshiped at Ketherinenkirche, over the years, were the likes of the Goethe family; Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was baptized here. Also, near the church, at some point, was the Katharinenpforte prison where, in 1771, a child murderer Susanna Margaretha Brandt was incarcerated. Her beheading strongly affected 22-year-old Goethe, who witnessed it. Later, he used some of the Brandt case details in the ‘Faust’ poem.

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Saint Catherine's (Katharinenkirche) on Map

Sight Name: Saint Catherine's (Katharinenkirche)
Sight Location: Frankfurt, Germany (See walking tours in Frankfurt)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Frankfurt, Germany

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The town itself was founded by the Franks, a Germanic tribe, in the 9th century. Its name comes from...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles
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The history of Jews in Frankfurt dates back almost 900 years, which is more than in any other German city. Attesting to this fact alone is one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe, the Old Jewish Cemetery of Frankfurt, first recorded in the 12th century.

At some point, the city was even referred to as "Jerusalem of the West", highlighting its importance as a center of Jewish life...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles

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