Saint Alban's Abbey, Mainz

View of Mainz from the southeast, showing St. Alban's to the left with choir and tower, next to the Drusus cenotaph. Pen drawing by Wenzel Hollar, 1631.

St. Alban's Abbey, Mainz (Stift St. Alban vor Mainz) originated as a Benedictine abbey, founded in 787 or 796 by Archbishop Richulf (787–813) in honour of Saint Alban of Mainz, located to the south of Mainz on the hill later called the Albansberg. It was turned into a collegiate foundation (Herrenstift) in 1442. The buildings were entirely destroyed in 1552, although the foundation retained a legal existence until its formal dissolution in 1802.

The abbey was initially renowned for its school, and for its beautiful church. The school was the origin of the Carolingian court school. One of its famous teachers was Rabanus Maurus,^{[citation needed]} born c 780 in Mainz. The importance of the place was reflected in the extraordinary size of the hall. The church was inaugurated on 1 December 805 by Richulf and remained the largest church of Mainz until construction of Mainz Cathedral was begun by Willigis.