Friedrich Schiller, Konrad Duden, Bertha and Carl Benz – all outstanding individuals who were open to new ideas, who each in their own way did a great deal of lasting good for our country and indeed for the world, and have one thing in common: they are part of this city’s DNA, they helped shape its image and they have consequently lent their names to its most important awards.
The following pages contain more information about the City of Mannheim’s three major awards.
Mannheim is the birthplace of the automobile. In 1885 the engineer Carl Benz (1844-1929) developed a three-wheel motor vehicle in his workshop in T6 that he patented in 1886: this was the birth of the automobile. Once again Mannheim’s reputation as a pioneering city of mobility was evident. In 1888 his wife Bertha Benz undertook the first successful long-distance journey by car, driving with her sons Eugen and Richard around 104 km from Mannheim to Pforzheim, her birthplace, in just under 13 hours.
In commemoration and recognition of this epoch-making invention, in 2011 the City of Mannheim launched the Bertha and Carl Benz Award on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the automobile. Although historically this award, which carries prize money of 10,000 euros, is based on the invention of the car, as a “mobility award” it encapsulates a highly topical and forward-looking idea: namely that mobility is about much more than just covering physical distances. Mobility creates opportunities to learn, builds bridges, breaks down social barriers, and promotes an environmentally sound and sustainable future.
The City of Mannheim’s Konrad Duden Award is presented every three years by the Council of the City of Mannheim and the publishing company Bibliographisches Institut (Duden Verlag) based on a jury’s recommendation. It is one of the most distinguished awards in German language studies and is awarded to people who have made outstanding achievements in German language research. The award comes with prize money of 12,500 euros and has been awarded to more than 30 linguists since 1959.
To commemorate Schiller’s time in Mannheim between 1782 and 1785, every other year the City of Mannheim presents the Schiller Award, which carries prize money of 20,000 euros. It was launched in 1954 by the then mayor Dr. Hermann Heimerich on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of Mannheim’s National Theatre. It underlines the cultural and political dimensions of the city’s identity. According to its statutes, candidates are considered for the prize who have made an outstanding contribution to cultural development in their entire oeuvre or in a highly significant individual piece of work. While in Mannheim, Schiller had not yet become the national poet or prince of poets, but rather a playwright who sparked irritation and opposition. Therefore the work of the most recent award winners is characterised by its social impact or by a reflection on art and its role, as exemplified by the most recent recipients of the award: Christian Petzold (2020), Uwe Timm (2018), Klaus Theweleit (2016) and Georg Stefan Troller (2014).
The Round Table Development Policy promotes cooperation and information exchange on development policy issues between politics, administration and civil society. Membership is open to all citizens of Mannheim and civil society groups based in Mannheim who are committed to development policy. Development in this context is seen as activities to improve the social and economic conditions regarding the Global South.
Innovation needs research. In Mannheim, research and industry go hand in hand. 2.25 percent of employees work in research and development. Several universities and more than 30 non-university research institutions are working on the future here in Mannheim. This results in over 2,000 patent applications per year in the region.
Mannheim is located in the heart of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, one of the strongest economic regions in Germany. This excellent location enables easy accessibility via a network of intermodal transport options.