Editing Mainz (section)

===Rhenish Hesse===
In 1816, the part of the former French Département which is known today as [[Rhenish Hesse]] ({{langx|de|link=no|Rheinhessen}}) was awarded to the [[Grand Duchy of Hesse|Hesse-Darmstadt]], Mainz being the capital of the new [[Hesse|Hessian]] province of Rhenish Hesse. From 1816 to 1866, a part of the [[German Confederation]], Mainz was the most important fortress in the defence against France, and had a strong garrison of [[Austrian Empire|Austrian]], Prussian and [[Kingdom of Bavaria|Bavaria]]n troops.<ref name="Dumont-2018">{{cite journal |last=Dumont |first=Stefan |title=Soldaten und Mainzerinnen in der Festung Mainz 1816‒1866 |journal=Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz |year=2018 |doi=10.25358/OPENSCIENCE-4435 |url=https://openscience.ub.uni-mainz.de/handle/20.500.12030/4437 |language=de |access-date=31 January 2023 |page= |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131070854/https://openscience.ub.uni-mainz.de/handle/20.500.12030/4437 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On the afternoon of 18 November 1857, a huge explosion rocked Mainz when the city's powder magazine, the ''Pulverturm'', exploded. Approximately 150 people were killed and at least 500 injured; 57 buildings were destroyed and a similar number severely damaged in what was to be known as the ''Powder Tower Explosion'' or ''Powder Explosion''.<ref name="Mathieux-1857">{{cite book |last=Mathieux |first=J.P. |title=Schilderung der Pulverexplosion zu Mainz am 18 November 1857, und die Verpflichtung Deutschlands diesem Unglücke gegenüber |year=1857 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HZlWAAAAcAAJ |language=de |access-date=31 January 2023 |page= |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164807/https://books.google.com/books?id=HZlWAAAAcAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Brockhaus-1857">{{cite book |title=Die Pulver-Explosion in Mainz |publisher=Brockhaus |series=Illustrirte Depeschen |year=1857 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=El9uswEACAAJ |language=de |access-date=31 January 2023 |page= |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164807/https://books.google.com/books?id=El9uswEACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Gondlach-1932">{{cite book |last=Gondlach |first=C. |title=Zu den Erinnerungen an die Pulver-Explosion in Mainz |year=1932 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g5Z7tAEACAAJ |language=de |access-date=31 January 2023 |page= |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164807/https://books.google.com/books?id=g5Z7tAEACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the [[Austro-Prussian War]] in 1866, Mainz was declared a neutral zone.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dumont |first=Stefan |title=Mainz als Reichsfestung 1870/71-1918 |website=Festung Mainz |url=http://www.festung-mainz.de/geschichte/reichsfestung.html |language=de |access-date=31 January 2023 |archive-date=30 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130222836/http://www.festung-mainz.de/geschichte/reichsfestung.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Bockenheimer-1907">{{cite book |last=Bockenheimer |first=K.G. |title=Mainz im Jahre 1866: von K. G. Bockenheimer |publisher=P. von Zabern |year=1907 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HTMwAAAAYAAJ |language=de |access-date=31 January 2023 |page= |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164807/https://books.google.com/books?id=HTMwAAAAYAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> After the founding of the [[German Empire]] in 1871, Mainz no longer was as important a stronghold, because in the [[Franco-Prussian War]] France had lost the territory of [[Alsace-Lorraine]] to Germany (which France had occupied bit by bit from 1630 to 1795), and this defined the new border between the two countries.<ref name="Büllesbach">{{cite web |last=Büllesbach |first=Rudolf |title=Festung Mainz- Fort Muhl bei Ebersheim |website=Festung Mainz |url=http://www.festung-mainz.de/festung/stuetzpunkt-auf-der-muhl.html |language=de |access-date=31 January 2023 |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131071948/http://www.festung-mainz.de/festung/stuetzpunkt-auf-der-muhl.html |url-status=live }}</ref>