Hidden from view lies Petersaue a Rhine island steeped in history. Its name whispers of a past a time when monks chanted prayers and a prince-elector built a palace.
This unassuming island is more than just a green space. Petersaue was once the property of the St Peter monastery. Established in the 10th century this monastery held sway for centuries. The monks even built a charterhouse on this very spot.
Then came Friedrich Karl Joseph von Erthal. Prince-elector and Archbishop of Mainz he transformed Petersaue. In 1781 he acquired the charterhouse. He didn’t want a simple monastery. He built a one-story neoclassical palace a summer residence. A maison de plaisance with a view of Mainz. The architect remains a mystery though Portuguese architect Emanuel Joseph von Herigoyen or Francois Ignace Mangin are possible candidates.
Imagine frescoes by Januarius Zick adorning the walls. This same artist painted within Mainz itself. The area blossomed. It became known as the Electoral Island a place of princely leisure.
But the quiet elegance of Petersaue was shattered by war. During the French Revolutionary Wars the island played a critical role. The French heavily fortified Petersaue. It became part of the expanded Fortress of Mainz.
Today nothing remains of the palace. All that is left are maps and a painting. A painting by Christian Georg Schütz shows the palace in all its glory. This painting sits in the State Gallery of Schloss Johannisberg.
The island’s past is locked away. You can’t simply stroll across Petersaue. Its hidden heart protects more than just nature. Its soil conceals the remnants of its fortifications. These show up only in dry summers as discolorations in the barley fields.
Petersaue’s modern life is equally intriguing. The island holds the Mainz waterworks. It draws millions of cubic meters of water yearly. This water is filtered Rhine water incredibly clean water. The Petersaue also holds an important wastewater treatment plant serving the Kalle-Albert industrial park in Wiesbaden.
Petersaue. An island of secrets an island of history an island of life. An island you can only view from afar. An island that silently whispers tales of princes monks and wars. An island that continues to serve Mainz and its people in unexpected ways.