Antique map - Mannheim 1928

Plan of Mannheim from 1928: the famous checkerboard city (Quadratstadt), the Mannheim Palace, the Rhine and the Neckar, the river port, the central station and the Wasserturm water tower.

This plan shows the city of Mannheim in 1928. Located at the confluence of the Rhine and the Neckar, Mannheim was the second-largest city in the Free State of Baden (Freistaat Baden) within the Weimar Republic, facing its Palatine neighbor Ludwigshafen. Today it is located in the state of Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Württemberg). Its population exceeded 270,000 at the end of the 1920s.

Mannheim's history is unique in Germany: rebuilt according to a regular orthogonal plan in the 17th century by the Elector Palatine, its historic city center (Innenstadt) is nicknamed the "checkerboard city" (Quadratstadt), where city blocks are designated by a combination of letters and numbers rather than street names. At the beginning of the 20th century, Mannheim established itself as an industrial and commercial giant, home to one of Europe's most important river ports as well as industrial leaders such as Benz & Cie (the birthplace of the automobile). The late 1920s were marked by a major cultural effervescence, particularly in the field of fine arts with the birth of "New Objectivity" (Neue Sachlichkeit) exhibited at the Kunsthalle.

Places and neighborhoods shown:

• The checkerboard city center (Quadratstadt) and the Palace: the historic heart paved in a regular grid, dominated to the south by the imposing Baroque Palace of Mannheim (Barockschloss) and the Market Square (Marktplatz).

• The Wasserturm and Friedrichsplatz area: to the east of the checkerboard stands the majestic Water Tower (Wasserturm), an iconic symbol of the city, surrounded by the gardens and ponds of Friedrichsplatz and the Kunsthalle.

• The central station (Hauptbahnhof) and railway infrastructure: to the south of the old town, the central station and the vast railway lines connect the Baden network to neighboring provinces.

• The confluence of the Rhine and the Neckar and the port area: the course of the Rhine to the west and the Neckar to the north frame the center, irrigating the immense river port complex (Rhein-Neckar-Hafen).

• Peripheral neighborhoods and suburbs: the map highlights Neckarstadt north of the Neckar riverbank, Schwetzingerstadt and Lindenhof to the south, as well as Oststadt and Wohlgelegen to the east.

• Parks and green spaces: the promenades of Luisenpark along the Neckar and the parks along the banks of the Rhine bring a dominant green to the urban fabric.

• Communication routes and trams: the network of bridges (including the Kaiserbrücke and the Friedrichsbrücke), the extensive network of electric trams and the road axes to Heidelberg or Ludwigshafen are meticulously mapped.

Cartographic reference: this fine-scale plan offers exceptional readability of the geometric layout of Baden. The checkerboard blocks of the city center and the residential areas are enhanced with a pinkish-orange wash, public buildings and the central station are highlighted with bolder shades, while the waterways of the Rhine and the Neckar stand out in light blue and the parks in soft green. An alphabetical and numerical grid surrounds the frame to facilitate orientation.

In short: for anyone interested in the history of the land of Baden, the geography of the course of the Rhine, Baroque and industrial architecture or the cartography of the 1920s, this plan offers a portrait of remarkable precision of Mannheim in 1928, with more than 270,000 inhabitants.

What area does this map of Mannheim cover? It covers the metropolis of Mannheim and its surroundings: the checkerboard center, the palace and the central station in the heart of the plan, the port and the Rhine to the west, the Neckar and Neckarstadt to the north, as well as Luisenpark and Friedrichsplatz to the east.

In what year was this map published? This map was published in 1928.

Reproduction of the city plan of Mannheim (Stadtplan Mannheim), published in 1928.

Printed on 200 g/m² textured art paper. Landscape orientation, standard 50x70 and 70x100 formats: easy to frame.