Editing Mannheim (section)

==Block numbering==
[[File:Mannheim Quadratstadt beschriftet.png|thumb|293px|The squares with their numbers]]
The city centre uses an addressing system that is unique within Germany. Within a ring of avenues surrounding the city centre, there are squares that are labeled with letters and numbers instead of street names. The practice dates back centuries and is a result of the original use of the city centre as a fort, with the fort's internal system being retained when the streets became public.

The codes are laid out in a progressive pattern. A street named Breite Straße goes through the middle of the blocks from south to north, with streets A–K on the west side of the street and L–U on the east. Intersecting streets divide these lettered streets into blocks from 1 to at most 7 based on distance from Breite Straße. Thus, C3 is between C2 and C4 in one direction and B3 and D3 in the other. Further, a number is given to each building: C3, 17 is block C3, building 17. House numbers begin on the south corner nearest Breite Straße and go counterclockwise for A–K and clockwise for L–U.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twomonkeystravelgroup.com/7-awesome-things-mannheim-germany/|title=Mannheim, Germany – 7 Awesome Things To Do|website=twomonkeystravelgroup.com|date=14 November 2015}}</ref>

Those not used to the system will often become lost. It also causes major issues with most mapping software, as the databases that they use are based on the standard street-number system, and so the software cannot accommodate a completely different system for a small area. A variety of fixes have been tried, none with a high level of success. In particular, the systems have issues because an address on a block can be on any of up to four roads and so attempts to fix the issue by giving the roads false names within the database have often failed to give accurate addressing, but such can still be seen on some platforms like [[Google Maps]]. Finding an address in the area thus generally requires resorting to asking directions or using one of the many posted public maps.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSG-zxGRkJw| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/DSG-zxGRkJw| archive-date=2021-11-02 | url-status=live|title=The European City Centre With No Street Names|last=Tom Scott|date=19 February 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>