Mannheim

Mannheim, city in south-west Germany, in Baden-Württemberg, a major river port at the confluence of the Rhine and Neckar rivers, across the Rhine from Ludwigshafen. The city is an important commercial and manufacturing centre; products include machinery, metal goods, chemicals, textiles, and building materials. Important landmarks include a large 18th-century Baroque castle, now the seat of Mannheim's university; a fine-arts museum with a notable collection of 19th- and 20th-century painting; and the Reiss Municipal Museum, featuring displays on the decorative arts and local history.

Mannheim was founded in 1606 by Frederick IV, elector palatine of the Rhine. Many Protestant refugees from Holland settled in the city. Burned by a French army in 1689, Mannheim was rebuilt and fortified in 1699. In 1720 it became the seat of the electors palatine. Later the city developed into a renowned centre of music and theatre; the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and dramatist Friedrich von Schiller were active in Mannheim. The Mannheim orchestra under its composer-conductor Johann Stamitz was especially important in the development of the classical symphony. Baden acquired control of Mannheim in 1802. The city was severely damaged in World War II. Population 307,500 (2005 estimate).