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51-506: Since Mannheim lies on the Rhine Valley , the groundwater is not very deep under the earth's surface and is therefore often of poor quality. Consequently, during the reign of Elector Charles Louis (1680), the merchant Helferich Geil suggested channeling "mountain water from Rohrbach" (now a district of Heidelberg ) to Mannheim. Until the 19th century, the electoral court's water requirements were met by The Upper and Lower Prince Fountains at

102-583: A degree that for a long time he has had no opinions save those inspired in him by his entourage. The void which this indolence has left in his soul is filled with the amusements of the hunt and of music and by secret liaisons, for which His Electoral Majesty has at all times had a particular penchant. In the course of his career, Charles Theodore acquired a celebrated secretary when the Florentine noble, Cosimo Alessandro Collini (1727–1806), who had been Voltaire 's secretary, accepted his patronage and remained in

153-577: A more Italianate style. This mixture of influences is, in fact, typical of many German courts of the period. Charles Theodore was also responsible for the construction of the Old Bridge in Heidelberg, which bears his name as the Karl-Theodor-Brücke . Charles Theodore liked to style himself as a prince of peace, in contrast to other princes like his chief political opponent, the great warrior Frederick

204-576: A puppet state of Austria. When he died of a stroke in Munich in 1799, the population in Munich celebrated for several days. He is buried in the crypt of the Theatinerkirche in Munich. Despite the mutual dislike and distrust between the elector and his Bavarian subjects, Charles Theodore left a distinctive mark on the city of Munich. It was during his reign that the English Garden , Munich's largest park,

255-634: A royal crown, and he never managed to control the mounting social tensions in Bavaria. After a dispute with Munich's city council, he even moved the electoral residence in 1788 to Mannheim but returned only one year later. In 1785, he appointed the American Loyalist exile Benjamin Thompson as his aide-de-camp and chamberlain. Over the next 11 years, Thompson reformed the Bavarian Army and many aspects of

306-511: A stone quarry and two brick factories. The siege of Mannheim in 1795, however, put an end to all efforts. The French used the wooden pegs as firewood and the Austrians blocked out the duct for military reasons. In 1779, the court chamber stated that it was impossible to continue working on the water line. On March 22, 1798, a settlement was therefore reached between Traitteur and the chamber, whereby all previous contracts were cancelled and compensation

357-411: Is a kind master." The French foreign minister, Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes , knew him and described his foibles even more succinctly: Although by nature intelligent, he has never succeeded in ruling by himself; he has always been governed by his ministers or by his father-confessor or (for a time) by the [E]lectress [his wife]. This conduct has increased his natural weakness and apathy to such

408-639: Is around 2.5 meters lower than the street and has four entrances via perrons : at the water tower, at the exit to the Augustaanlage , towards the rose garden, and towards the art gallery. There is a cascade water fountain between the outside stairs and the water tower; the water runs into a large water basin. A pergola runs in a semicircle from the water into the park. 49°29′03″N 8°28′32″E  /  49.48405°N 8.47560°E  / 49.48405; 8.47560 Rhine Valley Rhine Valley (German: Rheintal [ˈʁaɪ̯nˌtaːl] )

459-461: Is shown in his diplomatic correspondence. It is more widely understood that Charles Theodore continued the despotic and expensive habits he had developed as Elector Palatine. Charles Theodore never became popular as a ruler in Bavaria. according to his critic Lorenz von Westenrieder . He attempted, without success, to exchange the electoral lands of Bavaria for the Austrian Netherlands and

510-531: Is surrounded by the Mannheim rose garden , the Mannheim art gallery , and a few semicircular arcade buildings . The park is a popular meeting area in the summer. A Christmas market is opened every winter. The park around the water tower was designed as a semicircular park from 1899 to 1903 by the Berlin architect, Bruno Schmitz . The park is surrounded by a roundabout which leads to four arcade houses . The park itself

561-599: Is the valley, or any section of it, of the river Rhine in Europe. Particular valleys of the Rhine or any of its sections: Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria Charles Theodore (German: Karl Theodor ; 11 December 1724 – 16 February 1799) was a German nobleman of the Sulzbach branch of the House of Wittelsbach . He became Count Palatine of Sulzbach at the age of six following

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612-593: The Electoral Palatinate and the duchies of Jülich and Berg in 1742, with the death of Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine . To strengthen the union of all lines of the Wittelsbach dynasty Charles III Philip had organised a wedding on 17 January 1742 when his granddaughter Elizabeth Augusta was married to Charles Theodore and her sister Maria Anna to the Bavarian prince Clement . As reigning prince-elector of

663-516: The Electorate of Bavaria nor that of the Palatinate; Charles Theodore needed territory that he could bequeath to his illegitimate children. On 3 January 1778, shortly after the death of Max Joseph, Charles Theodore signed an agreement with Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor to exchange southern Bavaria for part of the Austrian Netherlands . The plan was strongly opposed by Maria Anna Sophia of Saxony ,

714-530: The Heidelberg Castle . In 1798, Johann Andreas of Traitteur, the Electoral Palatinate architect, wrote about these water transports: "Because of the lack of healthy, acceptable well water, as long as the court was in Mannheim, such necessary water was brought in daily from the mountains. As is well known, the court chamber had to keep a special water truck which drove to Heidelberg everyday to collect water from

765-471: The Mannheim Palace , and many private buildings. (A total of 54 wells were planned). Furthermore, Traitteur obliged to build the water line, in advance, at his own expense. Since Traitteur had claimed privileges, a commission met to deal with these provisions and imposed conditions on him (now there must be 130 wells), which forced Traitteur to change his plans. In the second contract signed on March 1, 1791,

816-479: The Palatinate , Charles Theodore founded an academy of science, stocking up the museums' collections and supporting the arts. When Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria died in 1777, Charles Theodore became also elector and duke of Bavaria and moved to Munich . Charles Theodore did not immediately take up his new title. He had several mistresses and many illegitimate children. However, those children could inherit neither

867-680: The Austrian Netherlands in 1784 also failed as Frederick II of Prussia initiated the Fürstenbund . When Charles Theodore died, Bavaria and the Palatinate passed to his cousin, Max Joseph, Duke of Zweibrücken , the younger brother of Charles August, who had died in 1795. In 1989, Marvin E. Thomas argued in Karl Theodor and the Bavarian Succession, 1777–1778 that Charles Theodore had wanted to maintain possession of his new territory, as

918-591: The Bavarian succession but agreed that his illegitimate descendants could not inherit Bavaria. Austria acquired the Innviertel , a part of Bavaria in the basin of the Inn River . Charles Theodore had only one son, Franz Ludwig Josef, with his wife, Countess Elizabeth Augusta of Sulzbach , who died a day after birth. His wife died in 1794. In 1795, he married Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este , Joseph's niece, but they had no children. A second proposal to exchange Bavaria for

969-614: The Electoral Palatinate chief engineer, Steimich, was sought for advice. He calculated that it would cost 210,000 guilders in order to channel the flowing water from the Rhine through the fortress ditches. However, it would cost the same value to construct a water pipeline directly from Rohrbach to Mannheim. This and further plans were therefore denied by the Minister, Count Oberndorff. Since 1790, over 24,000 residents of Mannheim mainly obtained their drinking water from pumping wells. In

1020-500: The Great of Prussia . Allegorically, Minerva , the Roman goddess of wisdom and protectress of the arts, is often depicted as a stand-in for the elector himself. This self-view is best summed up in the inscription of a small monument at Schwetzingen : "A field of war and death of Romans and Germans has been discovered, through the unearthing of weapons, urns and bones, in the year 1765. – To

1071-420: The Mannheim painters are particularly notable today (with the possible exception of Kobell, primarily a master of landscapes), the elector had several highly talented sculptors at his disposal, among them Peter Anton von Verschaffelt , Peter Simon Lamine and Konrad Linck. Linck also distinguished himself as a designer of porcelain figurines at Frankenthal . Charles Theodore's chief architect Nicolas de Pigage

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1122-426: The Palatinate. Although Charles Theodore certainly wished to acquire more territory, he had only illegitimate natural sons and so he preferred territory that he could dispose of through his testament , rather than territory encumbered by a legal entailment that he could pass only to a legitimate son. Charles Theodore was a great lover of the arts, including drama and especially music. His Mannheim court orchestra

1173-507: The Prince Fountain in the castle courtyard." In 1739, the minister of Hildesheim had eight fountains built on Parade Square. The architect Bibiena of Rohrbach was supposed to solve the problem of water shortage. However, he could no longer carry out this work. For more than 60 years, these fountains were without water and the citizens of Mannheim were faced with constant ridicule. In 1758, the scientifically trained Jesuit Christian Mayer

1224-403: The already-existing structure was necessary to increase the volume. In 1955, the city announced an idea competition to expand the tower, which was won by the architect Rolf Vollhard. His design envisaged a modern extension of the tower, with an encompassing glass balcony serving as a separation between the old base and new extension. The winning design sparked outrage among the population, forcing

1275-699: The arts of peace, which are the sole joys of his life, the elector Charles Theodore has dedicated this spot, excavated to the height of seven feet, and had this monument erected in 1768." On 17 January 1742, in Mannheim, he married Elisabeth Auguste , daughter of Count Palatine Joseph Charles of Sulzbach and his consort Countess Palatine Elizabeth Augusta Sophie of Neuburg . There was one child of this marriage who died in infancy, Francis Louis Joseph (28 – 29 June 1761). On 15 February 1795, in Innsbruck , he married Archduchess Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este . There were no children of this marriage. From his liaison with

1326-423: The center of the city to reach Schwetzingerstadt, Lindenhof, and the then-emerging Oststadt. On July 1, 1886, the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of waterworks took place. 1.975 million marks was approved as a loan for the project. However, the costs rose to 2,374,288 marks in the course of the three-year construction phase. The construction of the actual water tower was what caused such an increase in

1377-523: The city council because it could not be completed with 200,000 guilders . In 1771, "Master Besinger" wanted to use a "barrel machine" ( scoop wheel ) to scoop the water from the Rhine River into the fortress ditches. The guilds , consisting of boatmen, protested against this plan. In the meantime, four new fountains had been constructed on the market square; however, the water necessary was still missing. Experts from Bavaria were assigned to Mannheim and

1428-416: The city of Mannheim invited architects to take a tour. It is not known, however, whether Halmhuber returned to Mannheim. The citizens of Mannheim were able to voluntarily register for access to the water supply from 1887. By the time the water tower was completed, there were only 2,263 waterline connections, with around 75,000 residents in the city. Even by 1900, only 5,170 connections were installed, although

1479-531: The composer. Mozart quotes him as saying "No music has ever made such an impression on me. It is magnificent." In keeping with the customs of the time, an Italian opera company as well as a troupe of French actors were employed at Mannheim, each performing in their respective tongues. Later, the Nationaltheater (national theatre) was established, one of the first theatres in Germany to exclusively showcase plays in

1530-400: The construction. On May 8, 1889, the construction management requested the contractor Joseph Hoffman & Söhne to complete all the work by May 10. Since the company had not fulfilled these requests, it now had to face consequences; the construction management now had hired "a corresponding number of sculptors for a daily allowance of 5.50 marks at your [the contractor's] expense". Halmhuber

1581-471: The costs in building the waterworks. The building contractor Joseph Hoffman & Söhne in Ludwigshafen on the river Rhine, which also had a branch in Mannheim, was in charge of the construction work. They had to deposit a bail in the amount of 20,000 marks for this. However, the contractor apparently overlooked extending their bail, and they were immediately warned. The contractor was also behind schedule with

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1632-412: The death of his father Johann Christian in 1733. With the death of his cousin, Charles III Philip , he became Prince-elector and Count Palatine of the Rhine in 1742, being eighteen. In his fifties, he became Prince-Elector of Bavaria at the death of another cousin, Maximilian III Joseph , in 1777. Charles Theodore was born into Palatinate-Sulzbach branch of the House of Wittelsbach . His father

1683-420: The dirt in the earth. The tower only had a temporary roof until the 1950s. Since there was a sharp rise of water consumption due to the reconstruction of the destroyed Mannheim town center, it was necessary to increase the water pressure. The city therefore planned to raise the volume of the water tower from 2,000 to 3,000 cubic meters. Given the roof was already destroyed during the war, no further destruction of

1734-459: The end deviated from his plans, he finally arrived in person in May 1888. The complete handover of all plans was delayed until October 1888. In the meantime, the city expansion following Friedrichsplatz had already begun to take shape and a first water fountain had been built on Friedrichplatz as well. On March 14, 1889, the tower was so far completed that the scaffolding could soon be removed. Once again,

1785-443: The engineer pledged to complete the water line by the end of 1792 because there was a celebration for the golden anniversary of Charles Theodore's reign. In the end, Traitteur was forced to stop the work due to the lack of money (the outstanding "donation"—agreed advance or payment on account—of 30,000 guilders was not paid) and could not manage to comply to the terms of a third contract, although he had hired new workers to construct

1836-440: The hot summer months when most of the water was withdrawn, the water smelled of foul broth. The suspended solids in the water did not have to settle because of rapid withdrawal. Likewise, the fortress ditches spread a terrible stench due to the evaporation of the water after exposure and dehydration. A closed sewer system did not yet exist. There was a lack of rinsing water due to a drought, and waste, feces, etc. were left to rot on

1887-467: The native tongue (most notably, the first staging of Schiller's "Die Räuber" in 1782). In the visual arts, a massive collection of plaster casts taken from celebrated antique works was assembled at Mannheim. The pre-existing Düsseldorf gallery, including many works by Rubens , was first transferred to Mannheim, then to Munich, where it was later incorporated in the Alte Pinakothek . While none of

1938-598: The plans to be discarded. In 1962, the Mannheim council decided to reconstruct the tower true to its original form, which was carried out in 1963. The reconstruction took place under the leadership of Ferdinand Mündel. The statue of Amphitrite on top of the tower, which was originally designed by Johannes Hoffart, was recreated by Hayno Focken. The tower was restored in 1986/1987 and has been under monumental protection since 1987. Several minor renovations have taken place since then. The tower stands in Frederick Square, which

1989-440: The popularity in Bavaria that he enjoyed in the Palatinate. Charles Theodore was more interested in arts and philosophy than in politics. The British Victorian historian Thomas Carlyle referred to him as a "poor idle creature, of purely egoistical, ornamental, dilettante nature; sunk in theatricals, bastard children and the like; much praised by Voltaire, who sometimes used to visit him; and Collini , to whom he [Charles Theodore]

2040-485: The population had risen to over 120,000 by then. The tower was badly hit during the bombing of Mannheim in World War II . The roof in particular was destroyed, but the water tank was comparatively easy to repair. The Mannheim-dialect poet, Erna Rück, wrote in her poem called "Mei liewes Mannem" ( "My Dear Mannheim" ): The water tower, the plank, Everything is of dearth, the heaviest hoarse voice sank Like

2091-602: The state, rose to high ministerial rank with Charles Theodore's backing and became Count von Rumford. Charles Theodore is also known for disbanding Adam Weishaupt 's order of the Illuminati in 1785. In 1794, the French Revolutionary Army occupied the Duchy of Jülich ; in 1795, they invaded the Palatinate; and in 1796, they marched towards Bavaria. Charles Theodore begged Francis II for help that would have made Bavaria

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2142-414: The street. During this time, this was the main cause of many illnesses, including typhus , which caused many Mannheim residents to die during the summer. Benjamin Thompson , an American physicist from Massachusetts , prompted the Electoral Palatinate major and administrative councilor, Johann Andreas of Traitteur, to address the issue regarding the water supply. The turning point of the endless discussion

2193-633: The widow of Max Joseph, and Charles Theodore's cousin Charles II August, Duke of Zweibrücken , the head of the House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld and the next heir of Bavaria and the Palatinate. They were supported by Frederick II of Prussia and most of the German minor states. The ensuing diplomatic crisis led to the War of the Bavarian Succession , which was ended by the Peace of Teschen (1779). Charles Theodore accepted

2244-566: Was Johann Christian , who later became Count Palatine of Sulzbach. His mother was Marie-Anne-Henriette-Leopoldine de La Tour d'Auvergne, Margravine of Bergen op Zoom , a grandniece of Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Viscount of Turenne . He was born in Drogenbos near Brussels and educated in Mannheim . Charles Theodore was the Margrave of Bergen op Zoom from 1728 onwards. He then succeeded his father as Count Palatine of Sulzbach in 1733 and inherited

2295-492: Was charged to complete the Mannheim Palace , design the Schlosstheater and the gardens at Schwetzingen Palace (including numerous pavilions, among them several artificial "Roman" ruins and a "mosque") as well as Benrath palace . While these works are in a pure contemporary French style (marked by the transition from late Baroque to early classicism), some of the other architects employed by Charles Theodore were proponents of

2346-414: Was considered one of the finest in its time. The Mannheim School (including composer Christian Cannabich and conductor Johann Stamitz ) did groundbreaking work that the celebrated Wiener Klassik would later draw upon. Mozart applied for a position with the Mannheim orchestra in 1777, but was turned down, as the court was about to move to Munich. In 1780, Charles Theodore commissioned Idomeneo from

2397-434: Was created, and the city's old fortifications were dismantled to make place for a modern, expanding city. One of Munich's major squares, Karlsplatz , is named after Charles Theodore. Munich natives, however, seldom use that name, calling the square instead Stachus , after the pub " Beim Stachus " that was located there until construction work for Karlsplatz began, mainly because Charles Theodore, as noted above, never enjoyed

2448-521: Was finally reached with the intervention of Traitteur. He examined the watercourses above Rohrbach and the waterways on the other side of the Neckar River . On June 20, 1790, Traitteur finally submitted his memorandum. He stated in this memorandum that within two years, he will channel water from the mountains near Rohrbach to Mannheim for drinking and domestic use in sufficient quantities in order to provide for twelve fountains, various public pipe fountains,

2499-463: Was met with frustration with the construction company and could not move from Berlin to Mannheim; he no longer seemed interested in the Mannheim water tower. He sent an urgently requested plaster model of Frieze with Putti in poor packaging so that it arrived in Mannheim broken. He himself did not comply with several requests from the city to personally promote the construction. After he had sent further detailed plans for terraces and side turrets, which in

2550-407: Was sent to France to inspect all the water lines there. After his return, Father Mayer wrote a lot about hydraulics, but not a single water pipe was built. In 1770, Mannsperger, the cooper master of Mannheim, suggested that water from Rohrbach be channeled to Mannheim via wineskin (formerly called Kieferschlauch, or pine hose). His suggestion was considered insane and was rejected by a commission of

2601-464: Was set for Traitteur in government bonds . However, these were not paid to him even after long trials. The population of Mannheim grew rapidly towards the end of the 19th century, and as a consequence, the supply from the Käfertal waterworks was soon no longer sufficient. The city therefore needed its own water tower. The selected location was ideal, since only short lines were necessary for households in

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