Contemplate the story etched within these very stones of the Johanniskirche. This baroque church serves the Evangelical Church of Frankfurt am Main-Bornheim. Since 1896, it has honored John the Baptist. The Johanniskirche stands in Bornheim’s old town center.
A chapel dedicated to the martyrs Abdon and Sennen stood here around 750 AD. It was repaired and expanded until 1712. By 1663, the late Gothic church was widened by 15 meters on the north side. The south side held the cemetery. The tower was rebuilt and finished on December 23, 1751. On June 14, 1752, the foundation for a larger baroque church was laid. This church was consecrated on October 14, 1753. A lightning strike on July 17, 1776, destroyed it down to the walls.
Johann Andreas Liebhardt built the late baroque hall church in 1778-1779. He used the remaining walls from the burned church. The foundation stone was laid on June 25, 1778. Consecration followed on October 10, 1779. A new east side with stairs to the Kirchplatz was added. The destroyed parsonage was rebuilt. In 1781, the Johanniskirche got lightning rods on the tower and roof. Professor Hemmer from Mannheim designed them. Locksmith Alb from Frankfurt crafted them. It was the first building in Frankfurt to have them.
The first renovation occurred in 1873. A north staircase to the gallery was added. The railing around the altar was removed. In 1874, Johann Eberhard Walcker installed a new organ on the west side. The old organ was removed from the east side. The Bornheim church was fully renovated and rededicated on September 13, 1896. It was named Johannis-Kirche by decree on May 4, 1896. The windows were painted with symbols of the four evangelists.
A marriage room was added in 1900. During World War II, the Johanniskirche was heavily damaged on December 11, 1944. The air raids destroyed all 15 windows and the ceiling painting. The roof, gallery, and organ were badly damaged. The church reopened on May 23, 1948, after the war damage was repaired.
In 1955, the bells of the new Heilandskirche were coordinated with those of the Johanniskirche. This allowed all bells to ring together harmoniously. The Johanniskirche became a protected monument in 1972. From 1978 to 1980, the nave and tower were extensively renovated. The tower leaned due to groundwater lowering from subway construction. It was separated from the nave. Concrete piles reaching over 10 meters deep stabilized it. The nave was completely renovated.
Renovation of the Johanniskirche tower was completed in 1994. Two new bells were installed. A new organ by Karl Schuke Berlin was inaugurated on January 25, 2009. From March to December 2014, a major renovation took place. New exterior plaster, a bright interior paint job, and altar cleaning occurred. Woodwork was repaired and painted. New lighting was installed. The altar platform was enlarged. Lönne + Neumann redesigned the windows. The four evangelist medallions were reframed in bright patterned glass. New altar table, ambo, and baptismal font were created. Chairs replaced the pews. The renovation concluded with a dedication service on December 7, 2014.
The cornerstone from 1778 is visible on the church’s northeast corner. The Johanniskirche is the largest former village church in Frankfurt’s surrounding districts. It is a baroque hall church. It retains the spatial layout of its late Gothic predecessor. The chancel has a polygonal shape. A staircase and open staircase were likely added in 1778.
Bornheimers call the Johanniskirche “Zwiwwelkersch” because of its onion dome. The church tower is a landmark. It is nearly 50 meters tall. Its square base measures 7.50 by 7.50 meters. The tower is slightly offset from the nave’s axis. This is because it was built on the medieval foundations of the previous building. The offset allowed for the addition of the north staircase to the gallery in 1873.
Peregrine falcons regularly nest in the church tower. The parish installed a webcam to stream live images. The current Johanniskirchplatz was originally a horse pond. The Bornheim town hall stood beside it. The town hall was demolished in 1801. The horse pond was filled in. In 1803, the open space was paved. Since 2002, the Bernemer Kerb church festival has taken place there. The square received its current name in 2003.