At the First Vatican Council in 1870, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the decisions on universal legal primacy and papal infallibility. A few months before the opening of the Council, theologians were already calling for resistance to the Pope's planned claims to power. Many Catholics could not and did not want to comprehend the consequences of the primacy of jurisdiction and the definition of infallibility, but wanted their faith to be filled with life. They recognized that this would only be possible with the help of a new movement in living tradition and with a return to the origins of Christianity (hence "Old Catholic").

As early as May 1871, around 300 Catholics joined together in Wiesbaden to form the first Old Catholic congregation. The first Old Catholic church service in Wiesbaden took place in the Protestant Marktkirche in 1872.

In May 1899, work began on building the Friedenskirche on today's corner of Schwalbacher Strasse and Platter Strasse, based on a design by architect Max Schröder from Offenbach and with the help of city architect Felix Genzmer and architect Nink. The new church was consecrated on 11.11.1900 by Bishop Theodor Weber (1836-1906); since then it has served as the spiritual home of Wiesbaden's Old Catholic community. It was extensively renovated in the 1980s.

The church was given its name when it was consecrated because "after many years of unrest and wandering, the Old Catholic community has finally come to peace through its possession. Let its name be Peace Church, because peace shall be preached in its rooms, peace shall be given to all who come to it to seek peace." (Bishop Weber at the consecration).