The largest among the cities of Baden-Württemberg, the federal state of Germany, Manheim (Mannheim) takes third place. The first two are Stuttgart and Karlsruhe. There are many interesting sights in Germany. Manheim was founded around the middle of the VIII century. It is famous for its ancient architectural buildings, theaters, concert halls and the unusual layout of the historical center. About the sights of the city of Germany Manheim is described in the article.
Location
Baden-Wurttemberg is one of sixteen federal states in Germany. The city of Manheim is located in the northwest of this administrative district. It is the economic and cultural center of the Rhine-Neckar region.
The great poets of Germany sang the Rhine. Manheim is located on the picturesque banks of this river. On the opposite is Ludwigshafen.
Middle Ages
Many events from the life of the German people in the Middle Ages are known thanks to the records of monks. Many manuscripts were created in the abbey. One of them is called the Lorsch Code. This document is the first to mention Manheim. In Germany of the VIII century (namely, a manuscript dates back to this time) this city, of course, did not exist. There was a small village of Mannenheim.
XVII-XIX centuries
Manheim became a full-fledged city in Germany at the beginning of the 17th century. He was not built up randomly. The historical center has the shape of a horseshoe, its main object was a huge palace, and the streets of this area divide the territory into rectangles and squares.
The main attractions of Manheim in Germany date back to the 18th century. In 1720, the residence of the Palatinate Electors was moved here. In the 18th century, a castle was built, which became one of the largest baroque buildings in Europe.
“City of squares” - this is the name of this settlement in Germany. Photos of Manheim's attractions are presented below. On one of them you can see: the historical center is really divided into rectangular blocks. Each parallelogram has a name, for example, M7, A1.
Below you can see a photo of Manheim in Germany, taken in the XIX century. Significant discoveries in the field of technology came to this period. For example, the invention of railcar - a special trolley that moves mechanically on rails. Its name is formed on behalf of the creator Karl Dres. In 1886, the first car designed by Karl Benz drove through the streets of Manheim. And the first trolleybus line in this German city appeared in 1930.
XX century
During the Second World War, about 140 small enterprises operated by the prisoners functioned in Manheim. Back in the 30s, more than two thousand Jewish residents were deported.
As a result of the bombing of 1945, most of the buildings were destroyed. In the spring of the same year, the American army occupied the city. But, of course, today there is something to see in Manheim. The main attractions are preserved. After the war, the city was recovering slowly. The castle and the water tower were not badly damaged. The national theater had to be rebuilt in a new place. Where the building was destroyed during the war, today is a monument to Schiller, who lived for some time in Manheim. The city lacked residential buildings.
In the fifties, the construction of new areas began. Manheim is called a university city. Here is one of the most famous educational institutions in Europe.
According to 2015 data, in Manheim there are 330 thousand inhabitants. About 25% of the population are foreigners. About four thousand Russians live in this German city.
Mannheim Palace
The baroque building, erected in the XVIII century, is located on the banks of the Rhine. Today in the Mannheim Palace is the university of the same name. In the XVIII century for several decades the imperial prince lived here. Previously, his residence was in Heidelberg.
The construction of the palace took forty years. This landmark of Manheim is widely known among European tourists. It is always crowded here. The palace covers an area of six hectares. Facade length - 450 m.
This palace is one of the largest in Western Europe. During the construction, the Elector put forward a strange demand. He wished that in the building, which will be occupied by his residence, there should be one more window than in Versailles. A lot of money was taken from the treasury for the construction, in addition, a special tax was levied on the population of the Palatinate for three decades. In Manheim, the Elector spent autumn, winter, and spring. In the summer, he moved to the Schwetzingen Palace.
The historic district of Manheim, which the Germans call "squares," starts from the Neckar River and this attraction. Rectangular blocks are perpendicular and parallel to the walls of the palace. The main street of the city begins at the facade of the palace and passes to the bridge connecting the banks of the Neckar. It is called Kurfplatzstrasse. However, the locals called her Brayte Strasse, which is translated from German as “wide street”.
Luisenpark
This landmark of Manheim dates back to the end of the 19th century. One of the most beautiful parks in Germany is named after the Prussian princess Louise Marie Elizabeth. It is open all year. The park covers an area of 42 hectares. Over 350 plant species are represented here. There are several ponds in the park, flamingos, storks, Humboldt penguins, tamarines and even zebras live.
Water tower
This attraction is a symbol of the city of Manheim. The 19th-century photograph below also shows the famous water tower. This is one of the few Manheim buildings that survived World War II.
The tower was built in 1889. Located on Friedrich Square. The height of the structure is 60 meters. Diameter - 19 meters. This construction became the first water tower; it once supplied drinking water to the whole city.
During World War II, the building was badly damaged. One of the poets, natives of Manheim, in his poem dedicated to the bombing of the city of 1945, gave a few words to the destroyed tower. Full restoration was carried out only in the eighties. Since 1987, the building is included in the list of cultural monuments in Germany.
Other attractions
In 1779, the National Theater was founded. After the premiere of the play based on Schiller’s work “The Robbers”, his fame spread throughout Europe. The city has seven more theaters, including a puppet one.
The most famous museum in Manheim is the Kunsthalle. It was founded in 1907. Here are the works of German and French artists of the 19-20th century, as well as sculptural compositions of various European masters. The Reiss-Engelhorn Museum was established in 1763 with the assistance of the Academy of Sciences. Today it consists of seven units.
One of the most interesting historical buildings of Manheim is the Old Town Hall, located on Marktplatz. The first building on this site arose in 1607. However, these times were turbulent, and already in 1689 the building was destroyed. In 1700, the first stone of the new town hall was solemnly laid, which today is included in the list of the main attractions of this German city. True, in its three hundred year history, of course, it has undergone restoration more than once. The city has several churches and temples. There is one active synagogue built in 1987.
In addition to the Luisenpark in Manheim, there are two more squares, popular among locals and tourists. These are Herzogenridpark and Waldpark. The latter is located in the south-west of the city, on the banks of the Rhine.
Reviews and recommendations
Manheim is not a tourist city. Nevertheless, there are a lot of cafes, restaurants, bars and pizzerias. Already at 12 o'clock, most of the tables in the institutions of Manheim are occupied. Nevertheless, it is not difficult to find a place where you can have a good and inexpensive lunch in this German city.
During your stay in Manheim, you can save on phone calls. There are street vending machines everywhere. Almost everyone has a telephone directory. The call can be paid by credit card or special plastic. Coins of 20 and 50 cents are also accepted.
Before traveling to Manheim, check the electrical appliances that you intend to take on the road. All hotels in this city have exclusively European-style sockets. You may need to bring adapters and adapters with you.
There are many different stores in Manheim. There are also shopping centers in which prices, by European standards, are quite low. For example, Kaufhol, Karstadt. The main population prefers to eat in cafes and restaurants. But if you do not trust German catering, visit one of the local supermarkets. Here is a large selection of pastries, salads at very attractive prices. According to tourists' reviews, it is more profitable to purchase ready-made meals in these stores than to make orders in budgetary institutions.
Shopping lovers usually visit Manheim in late summer. It was during this period that large-scale sales began in the local shopping centers of the city. If you see the word Reduziert on the door of the store, it’s worth stopping by, because it means “sales at reduced prices”.
Most stores open at nine and open until six or seven in the evening. Thursday at the residents of Manheim is considered a long working day and ends at 20:00. On Saturdays, shops are open until 16:00. There are markets in the vicinity of the city, so cash can come in handy. You can bargain here, but not welcome. In the best case, it will be possible to reduce the price to 5%.