Mannheim is a young city. Founded in 1606/07 as a fortress of the Protestant Union, it became the capital and residence city of the Electoral Palatinate in 1720. Under Elector Charles Theodore, Mannheim blossomed into a European cultural metropolis. After its transition to Baden, the city experienced the political and economic rise of the bourgeoisie and played a crucial role in the revolution of 1848/49. Mannheim has always been modern and cosmopolitan, offering an exciting historical narrative.