Editing Mannheim (section)

==History==
{{for timeline|Timeline of Mannheim}}

===Early history===
A brick kiln excavated in 1929 in the Seckenheim district, which operated from 74 AD to the early second century, attests to settlement in Roman times.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Emmi.|first=Brandi, Ulrike, 1957– Federhofer|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/610821190|title=Ton + Technik : römische Ziegel|date=2010|publisher=Limesmuseum Aalen, Zweigmuseum des Archäologischen Landesmuseums Baden-Württemberg|isbn=978-3-8062-2403-0|oclc=610821190}}</ref>

The name of the city was first recorded as ''Mannenheim'' in a legal transaction in 766, surviving in a twelfth-century copy in the ''[[Lorsch codex|Codex Laureshamensis]]'' from [[Lorsch Abbey]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Minst, Karl Josef [Transl.]: Lorscher Codex: deutsch; Urkundenbuch der ehemaligen Fürstabtei Lorsch (Band 2): Schenkungsurkunden Nr. 167 – 818, Oberrheingau und Ladengau (Lorsch, 1968)|url=https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/minst1968bd2/0199|access-date=2021-12-18|website=digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de}}</ref> The name is interpreted as "the home of Manno", a short form of a [[Germanic name]] such as ''Hartmann'' or ''Hermann''.<ref>Sonja Steiner-Welz, ''400 Jahre Stadt Mannheim (Dokumente zur Stadtgeschichte). Band 1: bis zur Kaiserzeit'', vol. 1, 2004, {{ISBN|978-3-936041-96-5}}, p. 41.</ref> Mannheim remained a mere village throughout the Middle Ages.

===Early Modern Age===
In 1606, [[Frederick IV, Elector Palatine]] started building the fortress of Friedrichsburg and the adjacent city centre with its grid of streets and avenues. On 24 January 1607, Frederick IV gave Mannheim the status of a "city",<ref>{{Cite web|title=Grundriß der Stadt Mannheim im 17. Jahrhundert|url=http://www.landeskunde-online.de/rhein/ma/ma_stad.htm|access-date=2021-12-21|website=www.landeskunde-online.de}}</ref> whether it really was one by then or not.

Mannheim was mostly levelled during the [[Thirty Years' War]] around 1622 by the forces of [[Johan Tzerclaes, Count of Tilly|Johan Tilly]]. After being rebuilt, it was again severely damaged by the [[French Army]] in 1689 during the [[Nine Years' War]] (also called “The War of Palatinate Succession” as [[Philippe I, Duke of Orléans]], a younger brother of [[Louis XIV]] made a competing claim to the electorate of the Palatinate).

After the rebuilding of Mannheim that began in 1698, the capital of the [[Electorate of the Palatinate]] was moved from Heidelberg to Mannheim in 1720<ref>{{Cite web|title=Verlegung der kurfürstlichen Residenz nach Mannheim – News – lokalmatador|url=https://www.lokalmatador.de/nachricht/verlegung-der-kurfuerstlichen-residenz-nach-mannheim-1416/|access-date=2021-12-21|website=www.lokalmatador.de|language=de-DE|archive-date=21 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221030434/https://www.lokalmatador.de/nachricht/verlegung-der-kurfuerstlichen-residenz-nach-mannheim-1416/|url-status=dead}}</ref> when [[Karl III Philip, Elector Palatine]] began construction of [[Mannheim Palace]] and the [[Jesuit Church (Mannheim)|Jesuit Church]]; they were completed in 1760.

===18th and 19th centuries===
In 1819, [[Norwich Duff]] wrote of Mannheim:

{{Quote |Mannheim is in the Duchy of Baden and situated at the confluence of the [[Rhine]] and [[Neckar]] over both of which there is a bridge of boats. This is the third town of this name having been twice burnt. The houses are large, and the streets are broad and at right angles to each other, and is one of the most airy clean towns I have seen in Germany. It was formerly fortified, but the fortifications were razed in 1806 and gardens fill their places. There is a large [[château]] here belonging to the Grand Duke and a very good garden; part of the château was destroyed when the town was bombarded and has never since been repaired, the other part is occupied by the [[Stéphanie de Beauharnais|Grand Duchess, widow]] of the [[Karl, Grand Duke of Baden|late Grand Duke]] who was succeeded by [[Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden|his uncle]] having left only three daughters. She is the sister of [[Eugene Beauharnais]] [sic; in fact, she was his second cousin]. There is a cathedral, a theatre which is considered good, an observatory, a gallery of pictures at the château, and some private collections. About {{convert|2|km|mi|spell=on|abbr=off}} below the town the [[Imperial Russian Army|Russian Army]] crossed the Rhine in 1813. Population 18,300.}}

[[File:Mannheim 1758.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Mannheim in 1758]]
[[File:Stadtplan Mannheim 1880.jpg|thumb|left|Historical map of Mannheim in 1880]]
During the eighteenth century, Mannheim was the home of the "[[Mannheim School]]" of [[European classical music|classical music composers]]. Mannheim was said to have one of the best court orchestras in Europe under the leadership of the conductor [[Carlo Grua]]. The royal court of the Palatinate left Mannheim in 1778, as [[Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria|Charles Theodore]] had become [[Elector of Bavaria]] and moved to [[Munich]]. Two decades later, in 1802, Mannheim was removed from the Palatinate and given to the [[Grand Duchy of Baden]].

In 1819, [[August von Kotzebue]] was assassinated in Mannheim.

The [[Year Without a Summer|climate crisis of 1816–17]] caused famine and the death of many horses in Mannheim. That year [[Karl Drais]] invented the first bicycle.

Infrastructure improvements included the establishment of [[Mannheim Harbour|Rhine Harbour]] in 1828 and the construction of the [[Mannheim–Karlsruhe–Basel railway|first Baden railway]], which opened from Mannheim to Heidelberg in 1840. Influenced by the economic rise of the middle class, another golden age of Mannheim gradually began. In the [[Revolutions of 1848 in the German states|March Revolution of 1848]], the city was a centre for political and revolutionary activity.

In 1865, [[Friedrich Engelhorn]] founded the ''Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik'' (Baden Aniline and Soda Factory, [[BASF]]) in Mannheim, but the factory was constructed across the Rhine in Ludwigshafen because Mannheim residents feared [[air pollution]] from its operations. From this dye factory, BASF has developed into the largest chemical company in the world. After opening a workshop in Mannheim in 1871 and patenting engines from 1878, [[Karl Benz]] patented the first motor car in 1886. He was born in [[Mühlburg]] (now part of Karlsruhe).

===Early 20th century and World War I===
The [[List of Schütte-Lanz airships|Schütte-Lanz company]], founded by Karl Lanz and Johann Schütte in 1909, built 22 airships. The company's main competitor was the [[Zeppelin]] works.

When [[World War I]] broke out in 1914, Mannheim's industrial plants played a key role in Germany's war economy. This contributed to the fact that, on 27 May 1915, Ludwigshafen was the world's first civilian settlement behind the battle lines to be bombed from the air. French aircraft attacked the BASF plants, thereby killing twelve people. The precedent was set for this attack by Germany's repeated air raids against British civilian populations throughout southeastern Britain during the first half of 1915.

When Germany lost the war in 1918, according to the peace terms, the left bank of the Rhine was occupied by French troops. The French occupation lasted until 1930, and some of Ludwigshafen's most elegant houses were erected for the officers of the French garrison.

===Inter-war period===
After the [[First World War]], the Heinrich Lanz Company built the Bulldog, an advanced tractor, powered by heavy oil. As a result of the invention of the pre-combustion chamber by [[Prosper L'Orange]], [[Benz & Cie.]] developed the world's first compact diesel-powered car at its motor works in Mannheim in 1923. In 1922, the ''Grosskraftwerk Mannheim'' (Mannheim large power station) was opened. By 1930, the city, along with its sister city of Ludwigshafen, which had developed out of the old Mannheim Rheinschanze, had a population of 385,000.

===World War II===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1971-053-59, Mannheim, US-Truppen im Straßenkampf.jpg|thumb|US troops in street fighting in Mannheim, 1945]]

During [[World War II]], [[Bombing of Mannheim in World War II|air raids on Mannheim]] completely destroyed the city centre. Mannheim was heavily damaged during [[strategic bombing|aerial bombing]] by the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) and the [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF). Allied bombing raids razed the city centre of Mannheim at night-time [[area bombing]], killing thousands of civilians. In the meantime, 2,262 of Mannheim's Jews were sent to [[Nazi concentration camps]]. Some sources state that the first deliberate [[strategic bombing]] of the war occurred at Mannheim during a [[Royal Air Force]] night raid on 16 December 1940.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8J2-kzMxbKYC&q=%22Germany+and+the+Second+World+War%22+%22deliberate+terror%22+Mannheim&pg=PA507 |title=Germany and the Second World War |date= 15 November 2001|access-date=7 April 2011|isbn=978-0-19-822888-2|last1=Boog |first1=Horst |last2=Rahn |first2=Werner |last3=Stumpf |first3=Reinhard |last4=Wegner |first4=Bernd |publisher=OUP Oxford }}</ref> Today around one third of the city consists of buildings from before 1950.<ref>https://zensus2011.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/Aufsaetze_Archiv/2015_12_NI_GWZ_endgueltig.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=4 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>

In late March 1945, the Allied ground advance into Germany reached Mannheim, which was potentially well-defended by German forces. However, the German forces abandoned the city and the [[44th Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. 44th Infantry Division]] entered unopposed on 29 March 1945.<ref>Stanton, Shelby, ''World War II Order of Battle: An Encyclopedic Reference to U.S. Army Ground Forces from Battalion through Division, 1939–1946'' (Revised Edition, 2006), Stackpole Books.</ref> There was later a large American military occupation presence in the Mannheim area with up to 10 barracks. The first one shut down in 2007 and the last was closed in 2013 (see ''United States military installations'' below).

===1950s to 1980s===
[[File:Wasserturm Mannheim.jpg|thumb|right|The Wasserturm Garden]]
Rebuilding of the city began industriously. [[Mannheim Palace]] and the [[Mannheim Water Tower|water tower]] (''Wasserturm'') eventually were rebuilt and the [[National Theatre Mannheim|National Theatre]] was replaced by a new building at a new location. At the old location, there is a monument to [[Friedrich Schiller]] and the ''Zum Zwischen-Akt'' pub. The housing shortage led to the development of many new residential areas.

In 1964, the City Hospital (''Städtisches Krankenhaus'') became part of the [[Heidelberg University Faculty of Medicine in Mannheim|Heidelberg University for Clinical Medicine in Mannheim]]. In 1967, the [[University of Mannheim]] was established in the city.

In 1975, the [[Bundesgartenschau]] (''Federal horticulture show'') was celebrated in [[Luisenpark|Luisen]] and Herzogenried parks. A number of pieces of infrastructure were developed for the show: the [[Fernmeldeturm Mannheim|telecommunications tower]] and a second bridge across the Rhine (the [[:de:Kurt-Schumacher-Brücke (Mannheim)|Kurt Schumacher Bridge]]) were built, the pedestrian zone was established, the new Rosengarten conference centre was opened and the [[Aerobus]] was installed as a temporary transport system.

[[File:Skyline von Mannheim aus Heidelberg betrachtet 16-9.jpeg |thumb|300px|right|Mannheim skyline viewed from Heidelberg]]

A number of major projects were completed in the 1980s and 1990s: a planetarium, an extension to the art gallery, the new Reiß Museum, Stadthaus, a new [[Mannheim May Market|May Market]] ground, synagogue, mosque, [[Technoseum|State Museum for Technology and Work]], [[Carl-Benz-Stadion|Carl-Benz stadium]] and the Fahrlach tunnel were opened.

Mannheim has lost many industrial jobs, although in the recent past, the city was economically dominated by manufacturing. The city tried in the past to prevent the establishment of service providers by designating some locations as industrial areas. A prime example of the current trend is the construction of the Victoria Tower (Victoria-Turm) in 2001, one of the tallest buildings in the city, on railway land.
{{Panorama
|image   =  Victoria-Turm Mannheim am Rangierbahnhof bei Nacht.jpg
|height  = 250px
|width   = 
|alt     = Victoria Tower Mannheim at the marshalling yard at night
|caption = [[Victoria Turm]] Mannheim at the marshalling yard at night
|dir     = 
|align   = center
}}

===Post-reunification===
In 2001, the city hospital was officially and legally awarded with the title [[University Hospital Mannheim]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zusammenschluss der Unikliniken Heidelberg und Mannheim untersagt |url=https://www.bundeskartellamt.de/SharedDocs/Meldung/DE/Pressemitteilungen/2024/26_07_2024_Heidelberg_Mannheim.html#:~:text=Das%20Universit%C3%A4tsklinikum%20Mannheim%20(%E2%80%9E%20UKMA%20%E2%80%9C,die%20Bezeichnung%20Universit%C3%A4tsklinikum%20f%C3%BChren%20darf. |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240726233810/https://www.bundeskartellamt.de/SharedDocs/Meldung/DE/Pressemitteilungen/2024/26_07_2024_Heidelberg_Mannheim.html |archive-date=2024-07-26 |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Bundeskartellamt |language=de}}</ref>

Mannheim celebrated its 400th anniversary with a series of cultural and other events throughout 2007. The 400th anniversary proper was in 2006, since [[Frederick IV, Elector Palatine]] laid the foundations of Mannheim citadel on 17 March 1606. In preparation for the anniversary, some urban activities were implemented, beginning in 2000: the building of the [[SAP Arena]] with access to the city's new eastern ring road, the rehabilitation of the pedestrian zone in Breite Straße, the arsenal and the palace, the complete transformation of the old fairground, and the new Schafweide tram line. The concept of the anniversary of the city is aimed at a diverse range of events without a dominant central event.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Encke |first=Nadja |title=Stadtjubiläum Mannheim 2007 |url=http://nadja-encke.de/pics/Stadtjubilaeum_Mannheim_2007.pdf}}</ref>

In 2023, Mannheim hosted the [[Bundesgartenschau]] 2023 (National Garden Show); the second time after 1975.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BUGA 2023 in Mannheim |url=https://www.visit-mannheim.de/buga-2023 |access-date= |website=Stadtmarketing Mannheim GmbH}}</ref>

On 31 May 2024, a [[2024 Mannheim stabbing|mass stabbing took place]] at a [[counter-jihad]] [[Citizens' Movement Pax Europa|BPE]] rally in the market square. A police officer was killed and six others, including guest speaker Michael Stürzenberger, were injured. The suspect confessed to having [[Islamism|Islamist]] motivations behind the attack, which was meant to be an assassination attempt on Stürzenberger for his [[criticism of Islam]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-03-25 |title=Geständnis im Mordprozess: Was der Attentäter von Mannheim vor Gericht selbst aussagt |url=https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/mannheim/mordprozess-stammheim-messerangriff-polizist-rouven-laur-angeklagter-sagt-aus-100.html |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=SWR Aktuell |language=de}}</ref>

On 3 March 2025, a [[2025 Mannheim car attack|car was intentionally driven into a crowd]] at Paradeplatz. Two pedestrians were killed and 14 were injured. The suspect, who had a history of mental health issues, as well as previous convictions for assault and hate speech, refused to give motivations for the vehicle-ramming.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-03-27 |title=Täter schweigt weiter nach Mannheimer Amokfahrt: Was ein psychiatrisches Gutachten bringen soll |url=https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/mannheim/amokfahrt-mannheim-taeter-schweigt-motiv-unklar-100.html#:~:text=Ergebnis%20des%20Gutachtens%20zur%20Amokfahrt%20dauert%20Wochen&text=Dabei%20hat%20er%20zwei%20Menschen,Schreckschusswaffe%20in%20den%20Mund%20geschossen. |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=SWR Aktuell |language=de}}</ref>