Mannheim is a city in southern Germany. It lies near the point where the Neckar and Rhine rivers meet. Mannheim is the centre of a major industrial area. Its chief products include chemicals, machinery, and precision instruments. Together with the nearby city of Ludwigshafen, it forms an important river port. Mannheim Germany , at the junction of the Rhine and Neckar Rivers, is the Federal Republic's 5th most economically important centre, in terms of gross national product and population, just behind the Ruhr Basin, Greater Hamburg, the Rhine-Main region and Greater Stuttgart. Mannheim has a population of 300,000, but 1.7 million live in a 25 km radius of the city. With its 800,000 sqm. of covered storage make Mannheim river port Europe's biggest inland port of its type. There are many important international enterprises, such as Mercedes Benz, Asea Brown Broveri, John Deere, Boehringer, and others, that have theirs seats at Mannheim. Beside its economic significance, Mannheim ranks high as a college city with 27,000 students. Located in the heart of Europe, Mannheim may be reached from the major European cities within only few hours (Frankfurt International Airport lies only 45 minutes of driving away): Surrounded by forests - such as the Pfälzer Wald and the Odenwald - the Neckar valley, and historic towns - such as Heidelberg, Speyer and Worms - Mannheim is the perfect starting point for eventful trips. Mannheim was laid out chessboard style in 143 rectangles during the 17th century and completed as a fortress. Electors' Palace (Europe's largest Baroque configuration). Water Tower, Friedrichsplatz, Art Gallery in Art Nouveau style, Jesuit Church (Baroque), Old Town Hall with Parish Church. Luisenpark and Herzogenriedpark, which together cover 68 hectare, was the site of the 1975 Federal German Garden Show. Käfertaler and Rheinauer Forests, both very extensive. Odenwald and Pfälzerwald Forests (only 20 km distant). The Mannheimer National Theater is the oldest municipal theater in the Federal Republic, and comprises two buildings in which separate performances can be staged simultaneously. Mannheim has an old theatrical tradition; the first performance of Friedrich von Schiller's "Räuber" was staged in Mannheim in 1782. Mannheim is famous for its interesting museums: The State Art Gallery, specializing in 19th and 20th Century paintings and the Reiss-Museum with its archaeological, municipal history and ethnic collections, The Museum of Technology and Work is unique in its conception and architecture: Over 7,500 sqm., it shows 250 years of the south-west Germany's industrial history. Mannheim's chief baroque building is the Residence of the Elector. Built as a palace in the early 1700's, it now houses Mannheim University and many art treasures. Much of Mannheim was damaged in World War II (1939-1945). The damaged areas were rebuilt, giving much of Mannheim a modern appearance. In 1994, the City of Mannheim evaluated emerging online services to improve the flow of information and interaction with citizens. City officials thought from the beginning that these services would gradually develop in the years to come and while they were considering this, the World Wide Web was introduced. In the beginning the City was strongly supported by the computer centre of Mannheim University. In co-operation with other partners of the sciences, culture and economic sector, the first internet presentation of ' Mannheim International ' was created. In 1995, on the occasion of the Mannheim Mai Markt, the most important consumer's fair in Germany, the programme was presented for the first time to the citizens of Mannheim. The response was positive and it was decided to remain on the internet. Second largest city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, behind the seat of Government, Stuttgart. Mannheim is today a successful mixture of a shopper's paradise, an industrial and a service industry town, flanked by varied and extensive leisure and nature reserves. All this is in the heart of the Palatinate - the Rhine-Neckar-Triangle, lying in extremely close proximity to Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, the Rheinpfalz and the Odenwald Forest.