Trips to Mannheim

Mannheim has a history dating back to 766 when it was a small fishing village. In 1606, Elector Frederick IV of the Palatinate built a fortress at the location. The city was established at the confluence of the Rhine and Neckar rivers. As a trading town developed nearby, it soon received city rights.

After repeated destruction, the city was rebuilt in the Baroque style under the rule of Elector Johann Wilhelm. The city's layout follows the orderly Baroque pattern that was prevalent in the early 18th century, with the area divided into 136 squares. In 1720, when Elector Charles III Philip decided to move his residence from Heidelberg to Mannheim, the foundation for a Baroque palace was laid on the site of an old citadel. With over 400 rooms, it became one of Germany's largest and most opulent palaces, modeled after the Palace of Versailles.

Mannheim has been the birthplace of many innovations that have become integral to everyday life. In 1817, Baron Karl Friedrich von Drais demonstrated his first bicycle here, and in 1886, Carl Friedrich Benz unveiled his first automobile, which was manufactured in a nearby factory.