The city of Mainz, which had 154,003 residents, was home to a very modest branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1939. [1] The branch president in July was an American missionary who served without counselors. After his departure on August 25, the Saints there were dependent upon elders visiting from other cities—principally the leaders of the district of Frankfurt.

According to mission records, the meetings of the Mainz Branch were held in rented rooms at Pfaffengasse 13 in the first Hinterhof. The Sunday School met at 10:00 a.m. and sacrament meeting began at 7:00 p.m. There were enough active members in 1939 to have Mutual on Thursday evenings, Relief Society on Wednesday evenings, and Primary on Tuesday afternoons. The monthly schedule also included a genealogical class, choir practice, and teacher training. [2]

As of this writing, no eyewitnesses or documents could be found to tell the story of the Saints in Mainz during the war. Only two civilian members of the branch are known to have died from 1939 to 1945, which is remarkable given that the city suffered fifty-five attacks from the air in which 60 percent of the city was destroyed and 2,800 civilians were killed. According to city records, several thousand soldiers from Mainz lost their lives. The war ended there for all practical purposes when the American army arrived on March 22, 1945. [4]

In Memoriam

The following members of the Mainz Branch did not survive World War II:

Elisabeth Philippa Fischler b. Mainz, Mainz, Rheinprovinz, 23 Jan 1892; dau. of Johann Philipp Fischler and Margareta Beck; bp. 27 Jan 1928; conf. 27 Jan 1928; m. Mainz about 1919, Karl Kloshöhn; 3 children; d. lung disease 12 or 13 Dec 1941 (FHL microfilm 68791, no. 268; FHL microfilm 271380, 1930 and 1935 censuses; Frankfurt District book II)

Emma Karolina Philippi b. Wiesbaden, Hessen-Nassau, 9 Dec 1865; dau. of Heinrich Ludwig Wilhelm Philippi and Caroline Luise Charlotte Hartmann; bp. 22 Mar 1914; conf. 22 Mar 1914; m. Frankfurt am Main, Hessen-Nassau, Preussen, 17 Apr 1889, Friedrich Adam Philipp Fach; 4 children; d. senility Nauroth, Wiesbaden, Hessen-Nassau, 2 Jan 1945 (FHL microfilm 68791, no. 39; FHL microfilm 25764, 1925, 1930, and 1935 censuses; Frankfurt District book II; IGI)

Notes

[1] Mainz city archive.

[2] West German Mission manuscript history, CHL MS 10045 2.

[3] Presiding Bishopric, “Financial, Statistical, and Historical Reports of Wards, Stakes, and Missions, 1884–1955,” 257, CHL CR 4 12.

[4] Mainz city archive.