Before St Peter in Frankfurt even existed a smaller church stood on this very spot. It was there since 1381. This is the site of St Peter’s churchyard. Most of Frankfurt’s deceased were buried here until 1828. Can you imagine the history beneath your feet?
St Peter’s isn’t the original. The old church was demolished in 1895. The current St Peter church was built a little to the north-west between 1891 and 1894. It’s a neo-Renaissance design by architects Hans Grisebach and Georg Dinklage. Think of it as a grand blend of architectural styles.
The 68-meter spire was quite impressive. It was the tallest building in the area when built. This magnificent St Peter’s was unfortunately damaged during a bombing raid in 1944. It wasn’t restored until 1961 to 1965. Architects Theo Kellner and Wilhelm Massing oversaw its reconstruction.
A fascinating detail about St Peter’s is its notable interments. Famous figures rest here. Christian Egenolff one of Frankfurt’s first printers is buried here. So are the Merian family father and son engravers and publishers. Johann Friedrich Städel the banker and founder of the Städel Museum is also here. Even Goethe’s parents Johann Caspar and Catharina Elisabeth are interred within this sacred ground.
St Peter’s wasn’t always a youth center. It served the Evangelical Parish of St Peter until 2002. The parish merged with a neighboring one. Services moved to a more convenient location. The city government then transformed St Peter into its current state. It reopened as the jugend-kultur-kirche sankt peter in 2007. A stunning transformation costing over five million euros.
Today St Peter’s continues to serve Frankfurt. It is a testament to its enduring history. It is also a vibrant youth and events center. A place where history and community meet. A place where the past lives on. A story etched not just in stone but in the very soul of Frankfurt.