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Come September and Mannheim, the second largest city of Baden Wurttemberg, will reverberate with the world’s first ‘automobile orchestra’ when the rhythmic sounds of windshield wipers, clattering trunk lids and the deep sounds of engines will all be channelled into the symphony. Audience will be treated to a juxtaposition of automotive sounds, an orchestra, a choir and language with images, videos and lasers to recreate a huge multimedia symphony. Music, vocals and narrative combined with images, video and laser will bring the history of the car to life.
This year, 2011, is celebration time for Germans and Mannheim will witness a slew of activities. The motorcar was invented here, in the south-German city of Mannheim. Reason enough to celebrate the 125th anniversary on September 10, 2011 with a unique event — the premiere of a symphony that has been composed specifically for the occasion. The ‘auto symphonic’ is a multimedia symphony composed for 80 cars and a percussion ensemble, large symphony orchestra and choir. The most extraordinary thing is that approximately 80 automobiles, right from classic cars to racing cars and even tractors from every era, are involved. The venue will be none other than the Friedrichsplatz, bang in the centre of the town, which will transform into a great concert arena for just a night.
Few cities in the world share a close kinship with automobiles as Mannheim — it was here that Carl Benz applied for a patent in 1886 for his groundbreaking invention of a three-wheeled motor carriage powered by a single cylinder gasoline-fuelled engine under the number 37435, a patent specification that can be deemed the birth certificate of the automobile. It was from here that Bertha Benz, his wife, embarked on the first long-distance automobile trip in a three-wheeled motorised vehicle. With this trip, Bertha Benz helped the motorcar achieve its breakthrough and its rapid popularity across the world. Mannheim is the start and finish of Bertha Benz Memorial Route.
Hot wheels
Even today, the automotive industry is still Germany’s prime industry. Other inventions include the Lanz Bulldog, a popular tractor with a rugged, simple diesel engine, introduced in 1921, and the world’s first rocket plane built in 1929 by Julius Hatry. The wheel has also played an important role: the velocipede, the tractor and the automobile were all invented in Mannheim.
Denizens of Mannheim are extremely proud of their hometown and its great diversity. I could experience this when I embarked on a guided walking tour of the city. As I entered the main approach road to the city, the Carl Benz Memorial grabbed my attention. In the Technoseum, I saw replicas of the patented No. 1 motor carriage designed by Carl Benz in 1886 — a lightweight, three-wheeled construction with a single-cylinder, four-stroke engine and horizontal flywheel. There were other interesting exhibits on display like historic cars, tractors and two-wheelers. At the demonstration points for automobile construction and automatic assembly, I got an insight into car production methods through the years. I gaped in wonder at the original section of the Porsche 911 body shell displayed at the demonstration point.
Located between the rivers Rhine and Neckar, Mannheim offers an eclectic range of tourist attractions. For a casual tourist, there is much more to this automobile town. With Germany’ first Pop Music Academy and the Musikpark, Mannheim is the hub of pop. No wonder the musical geniuses of all generations — from Mozart to Joy Fleming or Xavier Naidoo — felt at home here. Mannheim has a long tradition of culture and creativity — Mozart and Schiller once lived and worked here. The place has tourist attractions galore such as Europe’s second largest Baroque Palace complex, Der Wasserturn or the Water Tower, and the 250-year-old Jesuit Church.
Strolling down the streets between the Neckar River and the castle, I discovered many wondrous things. Mannheim is a chessboard city whose streets were laid out in a grid formation in the 17th century. It is well structured and bore resemblance to Manhattan with its chessboard and blocks. I looked around for street names but found the signs providing a combination of letters and numbers. However, there is one street name — the Breite Strabe — which acts as a dividing line from the Baroque Palace to the Neckar.
“Locals talking to each other about C5 or E7 are not referring to a game of battleship but where they live or where they are heading,” explained our guide.
I culminated my walking tour at Der Wasserturn or the Water Tower, which stands on the highest point of Friedruchplatz Square. With its magnificent fountains, this square is considered one of Europe’s finest art nouveau architectural ensembles. The 60-metre-high watch tower, crowned by a statue of the greek god Amphitrite, dominates the skyline of Mannheim. In summer, the area around the watch tower is a popular rendezvous for people of all ages. It’s also a great place to stroll, stop by after a shopping spree, unwind and catch up with friends. After the walking tour, I relaxed by Mannheim’s famous landmark and watched the world pass by.