Karmeliterkirche, Gothic church in Mainz-Altstadt, Germany

Karmeliterkirche is a Gothic church in Mainz-Altstadt defined by pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses from the 14th century. The interior features side aisles and a distinctive choir area, displaying the spatial arrangement typical of medieval religious buildings.

The Carmelite order was first documented in Mainz in 1285, but the church and monastery were built only after donations from wealthy citizens and nobles, on the site of the Zum Hersfelder court acquired in 1326. From 1477 to 1797 the university held its annual rectoral elections here. In 1798 the church became a military magazine, and the monastery was dissolved in 1802; from the 1830s the church served as a warehouse, including for carnival floats. After the council voted to demolish it in 1922, citizen protests led the Dutch Carmelite province to take it over in 1924.

The choir window displays the Mainz city coat of arms alongside images of the Mainzelmännchen figures, creating a link between medieval traditions and local identity. These symbols reflect how the space remains central to the city's sense of place.

The church stands at Karmeliterplatz 5 in the old town, its entrance on the square off Karmeliterstraße. The choir adjoins the former city wall, so the east end is narrower below the windows. A reliquary of Thérèse of Lisieux is displayed for veneration every Tuesday.

The high altar features a 14th-century structure with a 1517 relief, showing how the building was continuously modified over centuries. Modern stained glass windows designed by Jan Schoenaker in 1970 create a striking contrast between medieval and contemporary artistic expressions within the same space.