Mannheim, << MAN hym >> (pop. 290,117), is a city in southern Germany. It lies near the point where the Neckar and Rhine rivers meet. Mannheim is the center of a major industrial area. Its chief products include chemicals, machinery, and precision instruments. Together with the nearby city of Ludwigshafen, it forms an important river port.
A fishing village existed on the site of Mannheim as early as the 700’s. German officials began building the city there in the 1600’s. They laid out the city in an orderly pattern of rectangular city blocks and constructed many buildings in the baroque style. Mannheim’s chief baroque building is the Residence of the Elector. Built as a palace in the early 1700’s, it now houses Mannheim University and many art treasures. Much of Mannheim was damaged in World War II (1939-1945). The damaged areas were rebuilt, giving much of Mannheim a modern appearance.
