Paradeplatz (Mannheim)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paradeplatz with town house

The Paradeplatz is a central square in the city center of Mannheim on the O 1 square . It gets its name from the historical fact that it was used for troop deployment during the time of the electors , in the 18th century it was called the alarm station.

history

As early as 1717, the first plans for the design of the Paradeplatz were submitted as part of the reconstruction of Mannheim after the Palatinate War of Succession . With the establishment of the department store (1745) by Elector Carl Philipp to strengthen Mannheim as a trading location, the design of the square was also accelerated. As part of the design of the square, the Grupello pyramid came to the location where it still stands today. In 1893 it was provided with a few more bronze statues by Johannes Hoffart and extensions and received its present shape. As early as 1895, the Paradeplatz was redesigned and more horticultural elements were added. However, they were not satisfied with this solution. Until the end of the Second World War there were repeated plans to redesign it. In 1942, an underground bunker was built under Paradeplatz , thus destroying the appearance at that time. After the Second World War , the square lay fallow until the town hall was built. After a long discussion, it was decided in the 1980s to restore the square to its historical state from 1895.

  • Paradeplatz in 1782

  • old department store on Paradeplatz in 1782

Location and layout

The Paradeplatz is located in the center of Mannheim city center. It is delimited in the Neckar-Schloss axis by Kurpfalzstraße, popularly known as " Breite Straße ", and its eastern parallel street as well as two of the most important shopping streets in the city center, the Planken (the water tower axis) and the Kunststraße. Except for the townhouse, rows of trees delimit the sides of the square. Ten paths lead to the Grupello fountain in a star shape and cut through the green spaces. Immediately on Paradeplatz is the central tram crossing point of Mannheim city center, via which - as well as via the adjacent stops on Breite Straße and on the Planken - almost all Mannheim light rail lines run.

Grupello pyramid

In the middle of the square is the Grupello pyramid, erected in 1743. This was created in 1711 by Gabriel Grupello for the Elector Johann Wilhelm and was first located in Düsseldorf . It represents an allegory of the triumph of princely virtues over vices and the unveiling of truth through time. On the base of the pyramid there are four allegorical representations at the corners:

  1. Justitia ( Latin : Justice) in the form of Elector Johann Wilhelm
  2. Prudentia (Latin: prudence) with a mirror as a sign of self-knowledge
  3. Temperantia (Latin: moderation), pours water into the wine
  4. Fortitudo (Latin: bravery), with sword in right hand and chains in left hand

In addition, the four main rivers of the Electoral Palatinate ( Rhine , Neckar , Moselle and Danube ) are represented as river gods.

GPS reference point

In the middle of the south edge of the parade ground, opposite to the square of N 1, was coated with a bronze plate in the ground patch of the first Mannheim GPS - reference point with centimeter-accuracy based on SAPOS established.

and display information about the image
Paradeplatz, panorama from the townhouse terrace (N 1), July 2006

The Paradeplatz is surrounded by the main office of the Sparkasse Rhein Neckar Nord , the two department stores C&A and Galeria Kaufhof , the Mannheim main post office and the town hall, which opened in 1991 . In its architecture, this quotes the old department store from the 18th century, which stood in the same place. In addition to restaurants and shops, the town hall houses the town library as well as the council and citizens' hall.

A man- high glass cube was erected on the planks not far from the square in 2003 as a memorial . The names of the more than 2,200 Mannheim Jews who were murdered by the National Socialists are written in mirror writing on its four sides . The cube itself was set up at an angle so that one of the sides with a name board faces the parade ground.

literature

  • Rudi Dorsch: Grupello pyramid with a new look . Mannheim 1993.
  • Lutz Tittel: The Mannheimer Paradeplatz in the 19th century . Mannheimer Hefte 1974.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ MARCHIVUM: street names, Paradeplatz. Retrieved August 27, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Stop plan at Paradeplatz. VRN, accessed October 3, 2014 .

Web links

Commons : Paradeplatz Mannheim  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 49 ° 29 '13.8 "  N , 8 ° 27' 58.8"  E