When you’re leaving the main railway station of Mannheim, Germany, to the northeast you’ll reach a nice park with fountains and flowers next to the city center. Main feature of this place is the Wasserturm (or Wasserdorn), an icon of the city. It was the first tower created to assure the water supply of the city and it was built from 1886 on. The tower is 60 meters high and was used until the year 2000 (at least as a reserve).
The necessity for such a building comes from the fact that the city is located in the Rhein valley and the ground water has a rather bad quality. For a long time the prince-electors at Mannheim received their water by transports from the castle of Heidelberg 20 kms afar. The tower itself is like an artwork combining different style: art nouveau, baroque and Roman monumental elements can be found. Statues from Greek mythology (like for sure Poseidon) decorate the square around. The Wasserturm was damaged during World War II and finally restored in 1963; it is a protected cultural heritage site since 1987.
Mannheimer Wasserturm
Friedrichsplatz
68165 Mannheim
Germany
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