Monsignor Klaus Mayer
Honorary citizen of the state capital Mainz
Biography
Klaus Mayer was born in Darmstadt in 1923. As the son of a Jewish father, he was persecuted under Nazi rule. He was only able to take his school-leaving exams at the Adam Karillon Gymnasium with great difficulty. He was not admitted to university. In February 1945, he escaped deportation only by chance.
After the end of the war, Klaus Mayer began his studies at the Mainz Seminary and was ordained a priest in 1950 by Bishop Dr. Albert Stohr in Mainz Cathedral. In the following years, he worked as a chaplain in Bingen-Büdesheim, Seligenstadt, and Oppenheim, as well as a pastor in Gau-Bickelheim.
In 1965, he became pastor of St. Stephan's parish in Mainz, where he worked full-time until 1991. He played a key role in rebuilding St. Stephan's after the war. Thanks to his initiative, St. Stephan and Mainz now have the famous windows by Marc Chagall and Charles Marq, which symbolize Jewish-German solidarity, German-French friendship, international understanding, and peace. Even in retirement, Mayer remained active in the St. Stephan parish.
In 1985, he received the papal honor of the title of Monsignor. Monsignor Mayer is a recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon and First Class, the Order of Merit of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate, and the high French honor "L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres au grade d'Officier de la Republique francaise." In 2000, he was honored to be entered into the Golden Book of the Jewish National Fund as a "bridge builder between Jews and Christians in Germany." The city of Mainz awarded Monsignor Klaus Mayer the Gutenberg plaque and bust, the ring of honor, and, in 2005, honorary citizenship.
Mainz mourns the loss of its honorary citizen Monsignor Klaus Mayer
On December 16, 2022, Monsignor Klaus Mayer, long-time pastor and "father of the Chagall windows" at St. Stephen's Church in Mainz, passed away at the age of 99.
Reasons for honorary citizenship
Monsignor Mayer is known for his dedicated work in the city of Mainz. His name is closely associated with Marc Chagall's largest glass artwork in the world, the stained glass windows in St. Stephan's Cathedral.
Monsignor Mayer's quiet yet emphatic commitment not only enabled Mainz to acquire this unique work of art, but also made St. Stephan's a symbol of Jewish-Christian reconciliation with great charisma. He has also dedicated his life to Marc Chagall's extraordinary work of art for decades, with countless meditations and publications, and has worked in many ways to promote reconciliation between Germans and French, Germans and Russians, and between Christians and Jews.
This is of extraordinary importance for the city of Mainz, especially against the backdrop of our history. In this way, Monsignor Klaus Mayer has created and achieved something unique and lasting for Mainz.