The Mannheim Observatory was a tower observatory built between 1772 and 1774 in Mannheim, Germany, which remained in operation until 1880. The observatory was transferred to Karlsruhe and finally in 1898, was established on the Königstuhl near Heidelberg where today’s successor institution the State Observatory Heidelberg-Königstuhl is located.The observatory tower is now owned by the city and was restored in 1905-1906, and after the Second World War. Since 1958, the tower houses studio flats.HistorySchwetzingenThe Palatinate Elector Karl Theodor was a prince of the Age of Enlightenment. The French thinker Voltaire was a frequent visitor to his Court, the Elector made numerous reforms during his reign and founded scientific institutions. The Physics Institute, established in 1751 in Heidelberg, had as its Professor of Experimental Physics and Mathematics the Jesuit Father Christian Mayer.In 1756 Mayer was sent to Paris to study the local water supply, he also studied at one of the centres of contemporary astronomy. He was given an Astronomical Quadrant, by the instrument maker, Canivet. In 1759, he observed the return of the comet predicted by Edmond Halley.

Die Burg Eichelsheim, auch Veste Mannheim, besaß die Funktion einer Zollburg und befand sich im heutigen Mannheimer Stadtteil Lindenhof nahe dem Stephanienufer am Rhein.GeschichteDie Befestigung Eichelsheim wird im Jahr 1265 erstmals als Zollstätte erwähnt und war damals noch ein einzelner Turm. Die Namensbezeichnung soll auf den dichten Eichenwald zurückzuführen sein, der dort einst wuchs. Diese Stelle eignete sich dazu, die Schiffe auf dem Rhein einem Zoll zu unterwerfen und zugleich die Fahrrinne frei und sauber zu halten.Mit dem Bau der eigentlichen Burg wurde im Jahr 1353 begonnen. In den Folgejahren vergrößerte man die Anlage permanent; sie war auch Prägestätte des "Mannheimer Pfennigs", einer Kurpfälzischen Silbermünze.Vom Sommer 1416 bis Januar 1419 hielt der Pfälzer Kurfürst Ludwig III. dort im Reichsauftrag den Gegenpapst Johannes XXIII. gefangen. Zu dieser Zeit hatte die Burg neben dem Wohn- und Verwaltungstrakt mit Kapelle nur einen festen Turm, in dem der Papst eingekerkert war. Er verfasste in den drei Jahren seiner Mannheimer Haft u. a. Gedichte und gab in poetischen Aufzeichnungen seinem Schmerz hinsichtlich der Vergänglichkeit alles Irdischen Ausdruck. Über seine Zeit in Eichelsheim schrieb er später:1600 wurde der Komplex mit einem Wassergraben, einem bewehrten Tor und zwei dazugehörigen Tortürmen beschrieben; im Kernbereich stand eine Wasserburg mit vier Rundtürmen.

The present National Theatre Mannheim, which dates from 1957, is a theatre and opera company in Mannheim, Germany, with a variety of performance spaces. It is notable for being the oldest local theatre in Germany, having celebrated its 225th anniversary on 7 October 2004.The idea of first building the original National Theatre developed after the suggestion of Elector Palatine Carl Theodor. The first theatre opened in 1779. In the past three hundred years, an important part of the history of German theatre and music history was written both in the original theatre and in Mannheim where new artistic styles were developed and refined in theatre, music and dance. Thus it reflects the tradition of many of the major names of the German arts such as Friedrich Schiller and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.In terms of the history of the company, Friedrich Schiller's first major drama, The Robbers was given its inaugural performance in 1782 in presence of the playwright at the National Theatre. The response was overwhelming: "the theatre resembled a lunatic asylum, rolling eyes, clenched fists, ramming feet, hoarse proclamations in the auditorium! Strange humans fell onto each other locked together…."Performance venuesThe venues of the present-day theatre consist of: Opera House with 1,200 seats, used primarily for opera, operetta, and ballet Schauspielhaus with 800 seats, used for small presentation such as chamber music and theatre. Schnawwl, the youth and children's theatre Opera House and Schauspielhaus are two theatres under one roof. They share common foyers and other facilities.