Mauritiusplatz

Situated in the middle of Wiesbaden's city centre, Mauritiusplatz attracts a great deal of attention.

Its history goes back to the Roman period. In 41 AD Emperor Claudius established the first Roman fortress here. In the 8th/9th century the square was the site of a Carolingian hall built in the 10th century, followed by a Roman basilica with a nave and two aisles. The Mauritiuskirche was first historically documented in the 13th century and was thus Wiesbaden's first church. Its name goes back to Saint Mauritius who spread Christianity in the region in the third century. Around 1488 the old church was replaced by a new one with a three-storey tower which Prince August Samuel in turn modernized and enlarged after the Thirty Years War. The structure repeatedly needed improvements, and in 1850 it was gutted by a fire. Merely the sarcophagus of the Duchess Elisabeth could be saved.

Today, a plaque marks the place where the former Mauritiuskirche once stood.