One of the first things you notice in Mannheim is the checkerboard-like downtown. The layout of the ‘City of Squares’ dates back to the fortification work by Elector Friedrich IV. The grid-like road network is formed by 144 similarly sized blocks of buildings – the squares. On the edge of this chessboard is the water tower ‘Wasserturm’, Mannheim’s most famous landmark.
Mannheim is home to the largest baroque palace complex in Germany – today the seat of the renowned University of Mannheim. The mix of baroque heritage and a modern urban fabric makes the city attractive and always buzzing with life. This economic hub between the rivers Rhine and Neckar is also a green metropolis, where meadows, extensive parks and promenades along the river invite citizens and visitors alike to relax.
Mannheim is a city of founders and innovations. The bicycle, the car and the tractor were invented here. Numerous research institutes, young creative start-ups, a strong middle class and leading global players represent the strong economic power of the region. The University of Mannheim’s top rankings attract young talent, but so do the variety of studying opportunities in the city: the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts, the University of Popular Music and Music Business ‘Popakademie’, the Oriental Music Academy as well as the University of Applied Management Studies.
One of Europe’s TEN-T urban nodes, with a large freight station and Europe’s second largest inland port, Mannheim is an important economic and trade centre in the middle of Europe.
This city in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg is the proud home to people from 170 different nationalities and has always remained true to its open and international atmosphere. In the 18th century, Mannheim developed into a vibrant cultural centre of European significance, with a huge number of cultural institutions as well as an important independent scene. The city offer includes theatre, film, the fine arts, music, and a large number of festivals. Since 2014, Mannheim is a UNESCO City of Music.
