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Vala Lamberger: The 18th-century gallery as it was in around 1930. Charcoal drawing (reproduction) © General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate, Directorate of Mainz State Museum
GDKE, Landesmuseum Mainz

The view from the tower of St. Peter's Church of the square containing the buildings for the former electoral stable building. The large roof surface of the riding hall can be seen at the top right. © General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate, Directorate of Mainz State Museum
GDKE, Landesmuseum Mainz

The former Golden Ross Barracks in the “Große Bleiche” street in around 1930. Coloured photograph © General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate, Directorate of Mainz State Museum
GDKE, Landesmuseum Mainz

The war-torn riding hall in the “Mittlere Bleiche” street during its reconstruction in around 1960 © General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate, Directorate of Mainz State Museum
GDKE, Landesmuseum Mainz

The former riding hall is now a lapidarium. The view from the eastern gallery © General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate, Directorate of Mainz State Museum
GDKE, Landesmuseum Mainz

The plenary hall of the building of the State Parliament (Landtag) of Rhineland-Palatinate © State Parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate (Torsten Silz)
GDKE, Landesmuseum Mainz

Riding Hall - Theatre - Barracks - Lapidarium - Plenary Hall

The 71-metre-long and 20-metre-wide Stone Hall designed like the imperial riding school in Vienna is constructed as an electoral riding hall in 1766/67. After serving alternately as a theatre or barracks since the end of the 18th century, the hall becomes part of Mainz State Museum in 1937.

After the museum is destroyed in 1942, the recovery of the riding hall continues into the 1960s. From 1964, selected Roman stone monuments are presented in a provisional display and in 1981, a multitude of the famous Roman stones of Mainz are finally housed in a room known as the “Stone Hall”.

From 2016 to 2021, the hall is used temporarily for the meetings of the State Parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate. For this, it has to be completely cleared, and a partition wall is constructed to divide it down the middle. One half returns to presenting a selection of Roman stone monuments, while the other half becomes a transitional plenary hall. Nowadays, the entire hall is used as an exhibition area again.