In the city of Mannheim, in the Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany

 "The passion to invent has no end." -- Karl Benz

====================================================================
(in southwestern Germany) The city of Mannheim, in the Baden-Württemberg Land (state), lies on the right bank of the Rhine River opposite Ludwigshafen, at the mouth of the canalized Neckar River. Baden-Wurttemberg’s second-largest city (after Stuttgart) is rare among German cities for its layout, a grid pattern (or “quadrates”) similar to those found in North America. The grid was originally plotted in 1606 and emanated from Friedrichsburg fortress, which later became the site of Mannheim Palace. Today, it partly houses the University of Mannheim. The city’s iconic water tower and its beautiful Luisenpark are must-see sites.

+ Mannheim offers an energetic cultural scene and great shopping in its busy city center, along with a landmark palace, the Barockschloss Mannheim. The city's surrounding factories and heavy industry plants (automotive, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering, agricultural, and construction machinery) are reminders of the drivers of the German economy. Two important transportation firsts took place in Mannheim: Karl Drais created the world’s first bicycle in 1817, and Karl Benz built the world’s first automobile to combine an internal combustion engine and integrated chassis in 1885; the vehicle was patented in 1886.
+ The emblem of this city is the cylindrical water tower, which is located in Friedrichsplatz, an Art Nouveau square constructed in 1907. Mannheim became a flourishing cultural center, with a school for conductors, violinists and composers, an art gallery, and an academy of sciences. In 1778, Germany’s first National Theater opened in Mannheim, and in 1782 it gave the first performance of Friedrich Schiller’s play Die Räuber (The Robbers). Mannheim was destroyed in 1795, and administrative control was transferred to the state of Baden in 1802. The city was rebuilt and became a center of the revolutionary movement (in 1848–49).

+ The construction of Mannheim’s harbor on the Rhine in 1834 stimulated economic growth, and by 1900 the city had become industrialized. More than half of the city was destroyed in World War II, but most of the important buildings have been rebuilt. Today, Mannheim is one of Europe’s largest inland ports, and its trade in coal and iron is of particular economic importance. Manufactures include medical instruments and supplies, a variety of electrical equipment and instruments (including microelectronic components and systems), pollution-abatement equipment, chemicals, fertilizer, and food products. Publishing and tourism are also important.

+ Mannheim remains a cultural center, with the National Theater (rebuilt from 1954–57) and schools of music and drama. The Reiss-Engelhorn Museums and a city museum have collections of art. The University of Mannheim, founded in 1907 and reopened in 1946, regained university status in 1967. (An annual folk festival is held in May, and a busy Christmas Market opens in December.)