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Mainz



 
 
Mainz is a city
City

A city is an urban area with a high population density and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status.Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, house, and transportation and more....
 in Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 and the capital of the German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 federal state
States of Germany

Germany is a federation consisting of sixteen states, known in German language as L?nder . Since Land is the literal German word for "country", the term Bundesl?nder is commonly used colloquially, as it is more specific, though technically incorrect within the corpus of German law....
 of Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate

Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 States of Germany of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz....
. It was a politically important seat of the Prince-elector
Prince-elector

The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of Imperial election the Holy Roman Emperors....
 of Mainz (see: Archbishopric of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz

The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780?82 and 1802....
) under the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
, and previously was a Roman
Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
 fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire.

Mainz is a city with over two thousand years of history. It is located on the river Rhine
Rhine

File:Swiss Grand Canyon.jpgThe Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe, at , with an average discharge of more than ....
 across from Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden is a city in southwestern Germany and the capital of the States of Germany of Hesse. It has about 300,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 35,000 United States citizens ....
, in the western part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Region; in the modern age, Frankfurt shares much of its regional importance.

z is located on the west bank of the river Rhine, opposite the confluence of the Main
Main

The Main is a river in Germany, 524 km long , and it is one of the more significant tributaries of the Rhine. The Main flows through the States of Germany of Bavaria, Baden-W?rttemberg and Hesse....
 with the Rhine.






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Mainz is a city
City

A city is an urban area with a high population density and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status.Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, house, and transportation and more....
 in Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 and the capital of the German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 federal state
States of Germany

Germany is a federation consisting of sixteen states, known in German language as L?nder . Since Land is the literal German word for "country", the term Bundesl?nder is commonly used colloquially, as it is more specific, though technically incorrect within the corpus of German law....
 of Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate

Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 States of Germany of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz....
. It was a politically important seat of the Prince-elector
Prince-elector

The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of Imperial election the Holy Roman Emperors....
 of Mainz (see: Archbishopric of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz

The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780?82 and 1802....
) under the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
, and previously was a Roman
Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
 fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire.

Mainz is a city with over two thousand years of history. It is located on the river Rhine
Rhine

File:Swiss Grand Canyon.jpgThe Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe, at , with an average discharge of more than ....
 across from Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden is a city in southwestern Germany and the capital of the States of Germany of Hesse. It has about 300,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 35,000 United States citizens ....
, in the western part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Region; in the modern age, Frankfurt shares much of its regional importance.

Geography

Mainz is located on the west bank of the river Rhine, opposite the confluence of the Main
Main

The Main is a river in Germany, 524 km long , and it is one of the more significant tributaries of the Rhine. The Main flows through the States of Germany of Bavaria, Baden-W?rttemberg and Hesse....
 with the Rhine. The 2008 population was 196,784 , an additional 18,619 people maintain a primary residence elsewhere but have a second home
Second home

Second home may refer to:* Vacation property* Pied-?-terreSee also*Second home ownership...
 in Mainz and it is also a part of the Rhein Metro area consisting of 5.8 million people. Mainz is easily reached from Frankfurt International Airport
Frankfurt International Airport

Frankfurt am Main Airport , known in German language as Flughafen Frankfurt am Main or Rhein-Main-Flughafen is located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, southwest of the city centre....
 in 25 minutes by commuter railway (Rhine-Main S-Bahn
Rhine-Main S-Bahn

The Rhine-Main S-Bahn system is an integrated rapid transit and commuter transport system for the Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region, which includes the cities Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Offenbach am Main, Hanau and Darmstadt....
).

The city consists of 15 districts: Altstadt, Neustadt, Mombach, Gonsenheim, Hartenberg-Münchfeld
Hartenberg-Münchfeld

Hartenberg-M?nchfeld, colloquially known as HaM?, is the student quarter of Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Created in the 1989 reorganisation of Mainz, the sector currently has a population of 15,000 citizens....
, Oberstadt, Bretzenheim, Finthen, Drais, Lerchenberg, Marienborn, Hechtsheim, Ebersheim, Weisenau, and Laubenheim. Until 1945, the districts of Bischofsheim
Bischofsheim (Mainspitze)

Bischofsheim is a community in Gro?-Gerau district in Hesse, Germany with a population of more than 12,000....
 (now an independent town), Ginsheim-Gustavsburg
Ginsheim-Gustavsburg

The double community of Ginsheim-Gustavsburg in the northwest of Gro?-Gerau district in Hesse has about 16,000 inhabitants....
 (which together are an independent town) belonged to Mainz. The former suburbs Amöneburg, Kastel, and Kostheim—in short AKK—now are administrated by the city of Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden

Wiesbaden is a city in southwestern Germany and the capital of the States of Germany of Hesse. It has about 300,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 35,000 United States citizens ....
 (on the north bank of the river). The AKK was separated from Mainz when the Rhine
Rhine

File:Swiss Grand Canyon.jpgThe Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe, at , with an average discharge of more than ....
 was designated the boundary between the French occupation zone (the later state of Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate

Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 States of Germany of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz....
) and the U.S. occupation zone (Hesse
Hesse

Hesse is a States of Germany of Germany with an area of 21,110 km? and just over six million inhabitants. The state capital is Wiesbaden. Hesse's largest city is nearby Frankfurt am Main....
) in 1945. Image:Sattelite Wiesbaden Mainz.jpg|Satellite photograph of the cities of Wiesbaden and Mainz and the junction of the Main with the Rhine Image:Landtagsgebaeude Rheinland Pfalz.jpg|The Deutschhaus
Deutschhaus Mainz

The Deutschhaus or Deutschordenskommende is the seat of the Rhineland-Palatinate Landtag in Mainz, Germany....
, the House of Parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate Image:Kaiserstraße Mainz.jpg|Kaiserstraße ("Emperor Street") with boulevard Image:Mainz-Theodor-Heuss-Bruecke-2005-05-16a.jpg|Theodor Heuss Bridge
Theodor Heuss Bridge (Mainz-Wiesbaden)

The Theodor Heuss Bridge is an arch bridge over the Rhine River connecting the Mainz-Kastel district of Wiesbaden, capital of state Hesse and the Rhineland-Palatinate state capital Mainz....
Image:Rathaus mainz1.jpg|City Hall, designed by Arne Jacobsen
Arne Jacobsen

Arne Emil Jacobsen was a Danish people architect and designer, exemplar of the 'Danish Modern' style. In addition to his architectural work he...

Administrative structure

The city of Mainz is divided into 15 local districts according to the main statute of the city of Mainz. Each local district has a district administration of 13 members and a directly elected mayor, who is the chairmen of the district administration. This local council decides on important issues affecting the local area, however, the final decision on new policies is made by the Mainz's municipal council.

In accordance with § 29 Par. 2 of Local Government Regulations, which refers to municipalities of more than 150,000 inhabitants, the city council has 60 members.

Districts of the town are:
  • Altstadt
  • Bretzenheim
  • Drais
  • Ebersheim
  • Finthen
  • Gonsenheim
  • Hartenberg-Münchfeld
    Hartenberg-Münchfeld

    Hartenberg-M?nchfeld, colloquially known as HaM?, is the student quarter of Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Created in the 1989 reorganisation of Mainz, the sector currently has a population of 15,000 citizens....
  • Hechtsheim
  • Laubenheim
  • Lerchenberg
  • Marienborn
  • Mombach
    Mombach

    Mombach, with about 13,000 inhabitants, is a borough in the northwest corner of Mainz, Germany. Mombach can be reached via Mainz-innenstadt or Bundesautobahn 643....
  • Neustadt
  • Oberstadt
  • Weisenau


  • Former districts (until the end of WWII):
    • Mainz-Amöneburg
      Mainz-Amöneburg

      Mainz-Am?neburg is a district administered by the city of Wiesbaden, Germany. Mainz-Am?neburg was formerly a district of the city of Mainz, until the public administration by the city of Wiesbaden was decided on August 10, 1945....
      , Mainz-Kastel
      Mainz-Kastel

      Mainz-Kastel is a district administered by the city of Wiesbaden, Germany. Mainz-Kastel was formerly a district of the city of Mainz, until the public administration by the city of Wiesbaden was decided on August 10, 1945....
      , Mainz-Kostheim
      Mainz-Kostheim

      Mainz-Kostheim is a district administered by the city of Wiesbaden, Germany. Mainz-Kostheim was formerly a district of the city of Mainz, until the public administration by the city of Wiesbaden was decided on August 10, 1945....
      , Mainz-Bischofsheim and Mainz-Gustavsburg
      Ginsheim-Gustavsburg

      The double community of Ginsheim-Gustavsburg in the northwest of Gro?-Gerau district in Hesse has about 16,000 inhabitants....


    Coat of arms

    The coat of arms of Mainz is derived from the coat of arms of the Archbishops of Mainz
    Archbishopric of Mainz

    The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780?82 and 1802....
     and features two six-spoked silver wheels connected by a silver cross on a red background.

    History


    Roman Moguntiacum

    Stadttor1
    The Roman stronghold of castrum Moguntiacum, the precursor to Mainz, was founded by the Roman general Drusus
    Nero Claudius Drusus

    Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus , born Decimus Claudius Drusus also called Drusus, Drusus I, Nero Drusus, or Drusus the Elder was a Roman Empire politician and military commander....
     perhaps as early as 13 BC. As related by Suetonius
    Suetonius

    Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was an equestrian and a historian during the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies on the battles of twelve successive Roman rulers, from Julius Caesar until Domitian, entitled On the Life of the Caesars....
     the existence of
    Moguntiacum is well established by four years later (the account of the death and funeral of Nero Claudius Drusus
    Nero Claudius Drusus

    Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus , born Decimus Claudius Drusus also called Drusus, Drusus I, Nero Drusus, or Drusus the Elder was a Roman Empire politician and military commander....
    ), though several other theories suggest the site may have been established earlier. Although the city is situated opposite the mouth of the Main
    Main

    The Main is a river in Germany, 524 km long , and it is one of the more significant tributaries of the Rhine. The Main flows through the States of Germany of Bavaria, Baden-W?rttemberg and Hesse....
     river, the name of Mainz is not from Main, the similarity being perhaps due to diachronic analogy. Main is from Latin
    Menus, the name the Romans used for the river. Linguistic
    Linguistic

    Linguistic may mean:*pertaining to language**specifically, pertaining to natural language*pertaining to the field of linguistics...
     analysis of the many forms that the name "Mainz" has taken on, make it clear that it is a simplification of
    Moguntiacum.

    The name appears to be Celtic
    Celtic languages

    The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic", a branch of the greater Indo-European languages language family. The term "Celtic" was used to describe this language group by Edward Lhuyd in 1707, having much earlier been used by Greek and Roman writers to describe tribes in central Gaul....
     and ultimately it is from the Celtic. However, it also had become Roman and was selected by the Romans with a special significance. The Roman soldiers defending Gallia
    Gallia

    Gallia is the name of:*Gaul , the region of Western Europe occupied by present-day France, Belgium and other neighbouring countries.*Gallia County, Ohio, a county in southern Ohio in the United States of America....
     had adopted the Gallic god Mogons
    Mogons

    Mogons or Moguns was a Celtic polytheism worshipped in Roman Britain and in Gaul. The main evidence is from altars dedicated to the god by Roman soldiers, but the deity is not a native Italic one....
     (Mogounus, Moguns, Mogonino), for the meaning of which etymology offers two basic options: "the great one", similar to Latin magnus, which was used in aggrandizing names such as
    Alexander magnus, "Alexander the Great" and Pompeius magnus, "Pompey the great", or the god of "might" personified as it appears in young servitors of any type whether of noble or ignoble birth.
    Zitadelle Mainz Drususstein
    To name the fort after this particular god was an ideological statement. It was placed in the territory of the Vangiones
    Vangiones

    The Vangiones appear first in history as an ancient Germanic peoples tribe of unknown provenience. They threw in their lot with Ariovistus in his bid of 58 BC to invade Gaul through the Doubs river valley and lost to Julius Caesar in a battle probably near Belfort....
    , a formerly Germanic tribe now Celticised and working for the Romans. Their capital was at Worms
    Worms, Germany

    Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over title of "Oldest City in Germany"....
     on the same side of the Rhine not far to the south. Dedications of their troops serving in Britain mention the god frequently. Germania Superior
    Germania Superior

    Germania Superior , so called for the reason that it lay upstream of Germania Inferior, was a Roman province of the Roman Empire. It comprised the area of western Switzerland, the French Jura mountains and Alsace regions and south-western Germany....
     was a geographical gateway between Gaul and Germany. The Romans were saying in essence by placing the fort here and naming it that "You barbarians shall not pass into the civilized and international state because the might of its youth inspired by its ancient god will stop you." If the barbarians needed any example, the previous fate of the Vangiones, who had come as conquerors and were conquered, was before them.

    Mz Roemer
    Moguntiacum was an important military town throughout Roman times, probably due to its strategic position at the confluence of the Main and the Rhine. The town of
    Moguntiacus grew up between the fort and the river. The castrum was the base of Legio XIIII Gemina and XVI Gallica
    Legio XVI Gallica

    Legio XVI Gallica was a Roman legion. The legion was recruited by Augustus Caesar in 41 BC/40 BC, and was disbanded after surrendering during the Batavian rebellion ; Emperor Vespasian created a new legion, the Legio XVI Flavia Firma....
     (AD 9–43), XXII
    Primigenia
    Legio XXII Primigenia

    Legio vigesima secunda Primigenia , dedicated to the goddess Fortuna Roman legion levied by Roman Emperor Caligula in 39, for his campaigns in Germania....
    , IIII
    Macedonica (43–70), I Adiutrix
    Legio I Adiutrix

    Legio prima Adiutrix , was a Roman legion formed in 68, possibly by Galba under orders of Nero. The last record mentioning the Adiutrix is in 344, when it was stationed at Brigetio , in the Roman province of Pannonia....
     (70–88), XXI
    Rapax
    Legio XXI Rapax

    Legio vigesima prima Rapax was a Roman legion levied in 31 BC by Augustus, probably from men previously enlisted in other legions. The XXI Rapax was destroyed in 92 by the Dacians and Sarmatians....
     (70–89), and XIIII
    Gemina (70–92), among others. Mainz was also the base of a Roman river fleet (the remains of Roman patrol boats and cargo barges from about 375/6 were discovered in 1982 and may now be viewed in the Museum für Antike Schifffahrt). The city was the provincial capital of Germania Superior
    Germania Superior

    Germania Superior , so called for the reason that it lay upstream of Germania Inferior, was a Roman province of the Roman Empire. It comprised the area of western Switzerland, the French Jura mountains and Alsace regions and south-western Germany....
    , and had an important funeral monument dedicated to Drusus, to which people made pilgrimages for an annual festival from as far away as Lyon
    Lyon

    ||-||}Lyon, also known as Lyons in English, is a city in east-central France. Its name is pronounced in French language and Franco-Proven?al language, and or in English language....
    . Among the famous buildings were the largest theatre
    Roman theatre (structure)

    File:Amman Roman theatre.jpgA Roman theatre is a Theater structure influenced by Hellenistic Greece....
     north of the Alps and a bridge across the rhine.

    Alamanni
    Alamanni

    The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic languagess located around the upper Main river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211?17 and claimed thereby to be their defeater....
     forces under Rando sacked the city in 368. In last days of 406, the Siling and Asding Vandals, the Suebi
    Suebi

    The Suebi or Suevi were a group of Germanic peoples who were first mentioned by Julius Caesar in connection with Ariovistus' campaign, c....
    , the Alans
    Alans

    The Alans or Alani were a group among the Sarmatians people, Eurasian nomads of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian language and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian language....
    , and other Germanic tribes took advantage of the rare freezing of the Rhine to cross the river
    Crossing of the Rhine

    The date 31 December 406, is the often-repeated date of the crossing of the Rhine by a mixed group of barbarians that included Vandals, Alans and Suebi....
     at Mainz and overwhelm the Roman defences. Christian chronicles relate that the bishop, Aureus, was put to death by the Alamannian Crocus. The way was open to the sack of Trier
    Trier

    Trier is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle River. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC. Trier is not the only city claiming to be Germany's oldest, but it is the only one that bases this assertion on having the longest history as a city, as opposed to a mere settlement or army camp....
     and the invasion of Gaul. This event is familiar to many from the historical novel,
    Eagle in the Snow
    Eagle in the Snow

    Eagle in the Snow is a modern classic of historical fiction. Written in 1970 by Wallace Breem, the novel is set in Britannia and Germania in the late 4th and early 5th century, and centers on the Roman Empire general Paulinus Gaius Maximus, a Mithraism in an age of Christianization....
    , by Wallace Breem
    Wallace Breem

    Wallace Breem was a British librarian and author, the Librarian and Keeper of Manuscriptsof the Inner Temple Law Library at his death, but perhaps more widely known for his historical novels, including the classic Eagle in the Snow ....
    .

    Throughout the changes of time, the Roman castrum never seems to have been permanently abandoned as a military installation, which is a testimony to Roman military judgement. Different structures were built there at different times. The current citadel originated in 1660, but it replaced previous forts. It was used in World War II. One of the sights at the citadel is still the cenotaph
    Cenotaph

    A cenotaph is a tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere....
     raised by his legionaries to commemorate Drusus.

    Frankish Mainz

    Through a series of incursions during the 4th century Alsace gradually lost its Belgic ethnic character of formerly Germanic tribes among Celts ruled by Romans and became predominantly influenced by the Alamanni
    Alamanni

    The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic languagess located around the upper Main river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211?17 and claimed thereby to be their defeater....
    . The Romans repeatedly reasserted control; however, the troops stationed at Mainz became chiefly non-Italic and the emperors had only one or two Italian ancestors in a pedigree that included chiefly peoples of the northern frontier.

    The last emperor to station troops serving the western empire at Mainz was Valentinian III
    Valentinian III

    Flavius Placidus Valentinianus , known in English as Valentinian III, was among the last Western Roman Emperors ....
    , who relied heavily on his
    Magister militum per Gallias, Flavius Aëtius
    Flavius Aëtius

    Flavius A?tius or simply A?tius, , dux et patricius, was a Roman Empire general of the closing period of the Western Roman Empire. He was an able military commander and the most influential man of the Western Roman Empire for two decades ....
    . By that time the army included large numbers of troops from the major Germanic confederacies along the Rhine, the Alamanni, the Saxons
    Saxons

    The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic peoples. Their modern-day descendants in Saxony are considered ethnic Germans; those in the eastern Netherlands are considered to be ethnic Dutch people; those in north eastern Belgium are considered to be ethnic Flemish people; and those in southern England ethnic English people ....
     and the Franks
    Franks

    The Franks or Frankish people were a West Germanic ethnic group first identified in the 3rd century as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River....
    . The Franks were an opponent that had risen to power and reputation among the Belgae of the lower Rhine during the 3rd century and repeatedly attempted to extend their influence upstream. In 358 the emperor Julian
    Julian the Apostate

    Flavius Claudius Julianus, known also as Julian or Julian the Apostate , was Roman Emperor of the Constantinian dynasty. He was the last non-Christian Roman Emperor, and expended much energy during his reign attempting to supplant the growing power of Christianity within the empire with officially revived Religion in ancient Rom...
     bought peace by giving them most of Germania Inferior
    Germania Inferior

    Germania Inferior was a Ancient Rome Roman provinces located on the left bank of the Rhine, in today's southern and western Netherlands, parts of Flanders, and North Rhine-Westphalia left of the Rhine....
    , which they possessed anyway, and imposing service in the Roman army in exchange.

    The European chessboard in the time of master Aëtius included Celts, Goths, Franks, Saxons, Alamanni, Huns, Italians, and Alans as well as numerous minor pieces. Aëtius played them all off against one another in a masterly effort to keep the peace under Roman sovereignty. He used Hunnic troops a number of times. At last a day of reckoning arrived between Aëtius and Attila, both commanding polyglot, multi-ethnic troops. Attila went through Alsace in 451, devastating the country and destroying Mainz and Triers with their Roman garrisons. Shortly after he was stalemated by Flavius Aëtius
    Flavius Aëtius

    Flavius A?tius or simply A?tius, , dux et patricius, was a Roman Empire general of the closing period of the Western Roman Empire. He was an able military commander and the most influential man of the Western Roman Empire for two decades ....
     at the Battle of Chalons
    Battle of Chalons

    The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains , also called the Battle of Ch?lons-en-Champagne or Battle of the Campus Mauriacus, took place in 451 between a coalition led by the Roman Empire general Flavius Aetius and the Visigoths king Theodoric I on one side and the Huns and their allies commanded by Attila the Hun on the other....
    , the largest of the ancient world.

    Aëtius was not to enjoy the victory long. He was assassinated by his employer's own hand in 454, who was himself stabbed to death by friends of Aëtius in 455. As far as the north was concerned this was the effective end of the Roman empire there. After some sanguinary but relatively brief contention a former subordinate of Aëtius, Ricimer
    Ricimer

    Ricimer was a Germanic general who was master of the Western Roman Empire during part of the fifth century.Ricimer was an Arianism Christian, the son of a prince of the Suebi....
    , became emperor, taking the name Patrician. His father was a Suebian; his mother, a princess of the Visigoths. Patrician did not rule the north directly but set up a client province there, which functioned independently. The capital was at Soissons
    Soissons

    Soissons is a Communes of the Aisne department in the Aisne Departments of France in Picardie in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about 100 kilometres northeast of Paris....
    . Even then its status was equivocal. Many insisted it was the Kingdom of Soissons
    Domain of Soissons

    In the Late Antiquity period, two states in the area of modern-day northwest France were termed the Domain of Soissons. This area is often incorrectly called the Kingdom of Soissons or the Kingdom of Syagrius....
    .

    Previously the first of the Merovingians, Clodio
    Clodio

    Chlodio was a king of the Salian Franks from the Merovingian dynasty. He was known as a Long-Haired King and lived at a place on the Thuringian border called Dispargum....
    , had been defeated by Aëtius at about 430. His son, Merovaeus, fought on the Roman side against Attila, and his son, Childeric
    Childeric

    Childeric was the name of several List of Frankish Kings:* Childeric I * Childeric II * Childeric III See also * Hilderic...
    , served in the domain of Soissons. Meanwhile the Franks were gradually infiltrating and assuming power in this domain. They also moved up the Rhine and created a domain in the region of the former Germania Superior with capital at Cologne
    Cologne

    Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants....
    . They became known as the Ripuarian Franks
    Ripuarian Franks

    The Ripuarian Franks were Franks that lived in along the Rhine River during the Roman Era....
     as opposed to the Salian Franks
    Salian Franks

    File:Seal_of_Childeric_I_Tournai tomb.jpgThe Salian Franks or Salii were a subgroup of the early Franks who originally had been living north of the limes in the coastal area above the Rhine River in the northern Netherlands, where today there still is a region called Salland....
    . It is unlikely that much of a population transfer or displacement occurred. The former Belgae simply became Franks.

    Events moved rapidly in the late 5th century. Clovis, son of Childeric, became king of the Salians in 481, ruling from Tournai
    Tournai

    Tournai is a Walloon Region city and Municipalities in Belgium of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut ....
    . In 486 he defeated Syagrius
    Syagrius

    Syagrius was the son of Aegidius, the last Roman magister militum per Gaul. Syagrius preserved his father's rump state between the Somme and the Loire around Domain of Soissons after the collapse of central rule in the Western Empire, the so-called "Kingdom" of Syagrius, as Gregory of Tours understood it, applying the Frankish term for...
    , last governor of the Soissons domain, and took northern France. He extended his reign to Cambrai
    Cambrai

    Cambrai is a Communes of France in the Nord Departments of France in northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France of the department.Cambrai is the seat of Archdiocese of Cambrai whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages....
     and Tongeren
    Tongeren

    Tongeren is a city and Arrondissement_of_Tongeren located in the Provinces of Belgium of Limburg , Flanders, Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium....
     in 490–491, and repelled the Alamanni is 496. Also in that year he converted to non-Arian Christianity.

    After the Fall of the Roman Empire in 476, the Franks
    Franks

    The Franks or Frankish people were a West Germanic ethnic group first identified in the 3rd century as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River....
     under the rule of Clovis I
    Clovis I

    Clovis was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Franks under one king. He succeeded his father Childeric I in 481 as King of the Salian Franks, one of the Frankish tribes who were then occupying the area west of the lower Rhine, with their centre around Tournai and Cambrai along the modern frontier between France and Belgium, in an...
     gained control over western Europe by the year 496. Clovis annexed the kingdom of Cologne in 508. Thereafter, Mainz, in its strategic position, became one of the bases of the Frankish kingdom. Mainz had sheltered a Christian community long before the conversion of Clovis. His successor Dagobert
    Dagobert

    Dagobert is a male given name, from Gaulish language dago "good" and Old Frankish berath "bright".historical persons called Dagobert include:...
     reinforced the walls of Mainz and made it one of his seats. A solidus
    Solidus (coin)

    The solidus was originally a gold coin issued by the Ancient Rome.The solidus was first introduced by Diocletian around 301, struck at 60 to the Roman pound of pure gold and with an initial value equal to 1000 denarius....
     of Theodebert I (534–548) was minted at Mainz.

    The Franks united the Celtic and Germanic tribes of Europe. The greatest Frank of all was Charlemagne
    Charlemagne

    Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
     (768–814), who built a new empire in Europe, the Holy Roman Empire
    Holy Roman Empire

    The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
    . Mainz from its central location became important to the empire and to Christianity. Meanwhile language change was gradually working to divide the Franks. Mainz spoke a dialect termed Ripuarian
    Ripuarian

    Ripuarian is a West Germanic languages dialect group spoken in the Rhineland, eastern Belgium and southern Limburg from northwest of D?sseldorf and Cologne to Aachen in the west, and Waldbr?l in the east, and also the name of the people who spoke it....
    . On the death of Charlemagne, distinctions between France and Germany began to be made. Mainz was not central any longer but was on the border, creating a question of the nationality to which it belonged, which descended into modern times as the question of Alsace-Lorraine.

    Christian Mainz

    Mainzer Dom Vom Kreuzgang
    St Stephan Zu Mainz
    In the early Middle Age
    Middle age

    Middle age is the period of life beyond Young adult hood but before the onset of old age. Various attempts have been made to define this age, which is around the third quarter of the average life span of human beings....
    s, Mainz was a centre for the Christianisation
    Christianization

    The historical phenomenon of Christianization, the religious conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once, also includes the practice of converting native Paganism practices and culture, pagan religious imagery, pagan sites and the pagan calendar to Christian uses, due to the Christian efforts at Ch...
     of the German
    Germanic peoples

    File:Germanische-ratsversammlung 1-1250x715.jpgThe Germanic peoples are a historical Ethnolinguistics group, originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Indo-European languages Germanic languages which diversified out of Common Germanic in the course of the Pre-Roman Iron Age....
     and Slavic peoples
    Slavic peoples

    The Slavic Peoples are a linguistic branch of Indo-European peoples, living mainly in eastern Europe. From the early 6th century they spread from their original homeland to inhabit most of eastern Central Europe, Eastern Europe and the Balkans....
    . The first Archbishop in Mainz, Boniface, was killed in 754 while trying to convert the Frisians to Christianity and is buried in Fulda
    Fulda

    Fulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the Fulda River and is the administrative seat of the Fulda ....
    . Other early archbishops of Mainz include Rabanus Maurus
    Rabanus Maurus

    Rabanus Maurus Magnentius , also known as Hrabanus or Rhabanus, was a Franks Benedictine monk, the archbishop of Mainz in Germany and a Theology....
    , the scholar and author, and Willigis
    Willigis

    Saint Willigis was an Archbishop of Mainz, and a statesman as well as a churchman.The able and intelligent Willigis received a good education, and was recommended by Volkold of Meissen, Bishop of Meissen, to the service of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor....
     (975–1011), who began construction on the current building of the Mainz Cathedral
    Mainz Cathedral

    Mainz Cathedral, formally known in English as St. Martin Cathedral is located near the historical center and pedestrianized market square of the city of Mainz, Germany....
     and founded the monastery of St. Stephan.
    Bonifazius
    From the time of Willigis until the end of the Holy Roman Empire
    Holy Roman Empire

    The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
     in 1806, the Archbishops of Mainz were archchancellors of the Empire and the most important of the seven Electors
    Prince-elector

    The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of Imperial election the Holy Roman Emperors....
     of the German emperor. Besides Rome
    Rome

    Rome is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city, with 2,724,347 residents in an urban area of some ....
    , the diocese of Mainz
    Bishop of Mainz

    The Diocese of Mainz is a diocese of the Catholic church in Germany The diocese was created in 1802 with the abolition of the old Archbishopric of Mainz....
     today is the only diocese
    Diocese

    In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglicanism, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a bishop. It is also referred to as a bishopric or Episcopal Area or episcopal see, though strictly the term episcopal see refers to the domain of ecclesiastical authority officially held by the bi...
     in the world with an episcopal see
    Episcopal See

    An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral....
     that is called a Holy See
    Holy See

    The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church....
     (
    sancta sedes). The Archbishops of Mainz traditionally were primas germaniae
    Primas Germaniae

    Primas Germaniae is a historical title of honor for the most important Catholic bishop in Germany.Since at least 965 the Title was held by the Archbishop of Mainz as most important Archbishop and most noble Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire until the Episcopal see of Mainz was Secularization in 1803....
    , the substitutes of the Pope
    Pope

    The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
     north of the Alps
    Alps

    The Alps is the name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east; through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany; to France in the west....
    .

    In 1244, Archbishop Siegfried III granted Mainz a city charter, which included the right of the citizens to establish and elect a city council. The city saw a feud between two Archbishop
    Archbishop

    In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others, this means that they lead a diocese of particular importance called an archdiocese, or in the Anglican Communion an Ecclesiastical Province, but this is not always the case....
    s in 1461, namely Diether von Isenburg
    Diether von Isenburg

    Theodoric of Isenburg-B?dingen was Elector and Archbishop of Mainz from 1459 until 1461, and again from 1475 until 1482....
    , who was elected Archbishop by the cathedral chapter
    Chapter (religion)

    Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiology bodies in the Catholic Church, Anglicanism and Nordic Lutheranism churches.The word is said to be derived from the Chapter of the rule book: it is a custom under the Rule of Saint Benedict that monks gather daily for a meeting to discuss monastery business, hear a sermon or lecture, or rec...
     and supported by the citizens, and Adolf II von Nassau, who had been named Archbishop for Mainz by the Pope
    Pope

    The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
    . In 1462, the Archbishop Adolf II raided the city of Mainz, plundering and killing 400 inhabitants. At a tribunal, those who had survived lost all their property, which was then divided between those who promised to follow Adolf II. Those who would not promise to follow Adolf II (amongst them Johann Gutenberg) were driven out of the town or thrown into prison. The new Archbishop revoked the city charter of Mainz and put the city under his direct rule. Ironically, after the death of Adolf II his successor was again Diether von Isenburg, now legally elected by the chapter and named by the Pope.

    Early Jewish community

    The Jewish community of Mainz dates to the 10th century CE. It is noted for its religious education. Rabbi Gershom ben Judah
    Gershom ben Judah

    Gershom ben Judah, best known as Rabbeinu Gershom and also commonly known to scholars of Judaism by the title Rabbeinu Gershom Me'Or Hagolah , was a famous Talmudist and Halakha....
     (960–1040) taught there, among others. He concentrated on the study of the Talmud
    Talmud

    The Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Halakha, Jewish ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
    , creating a German Jewish tradition. The Jews of Mainz, Speyer
    Speyer

    Speyer is a city in Germany with approx. 50,000 inhabitants, located beside the river Rhine. It lies 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim....
     and Worms
    Worms, Germany

    Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over title of "Oldest City in Germany"....
     created a supreme council to set standards in Jewish law and education in the 12th century.

    The city of Mainz responded to the Jewish population in a variety of ways, behaving, in a sense, in a bipolar fashion towards them. Sometimes they were allowed freedom and were protected; at other times, they were persecuted. For example, they were expelled in 1462, invited to return, and expelled again in 1474. Outbreaks of the Black Death
    Black Death

    The Black Death, was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia pestis , but recently attributed by some factors to other diseases....
     were usually blamed on the Jews, at which times they were massacred. This unstable pattern, which was not typical for Mainz only, but for whole Europe at that time, went on until World War II.

    Nowadays the Jewish community is growing rapidly, and is considering the creation of a new synagogue. The community itself has 1,034 members, according to the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and at least twice as many Jews altogether since many are unaffiliated with Judaism.

    Republic of Mainz

    During the French Revolution
    French Revolution

    The French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudalism for the aristocracy and Roman Catholic Church clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Age of Enlightenment principles of cit...
    , the French Revolutionary army occupied Mainz in 1792; the Archbishop of Mainz, Friedrich Karl Josef von Erthal, had already fled to Aschaffenburg
    Aschaffenburg

    Aschaffenburg is a large town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not considered part of the district of Aschaffenburg , but is the administrative seat....
     by the time the French marched in. On 18 March 1793, the Jacobins
    Jacobin Club

    The Jacobin Club was the largest and most powerful political club of the French Revolution. It originated as the Club Benthorn, formed at Versailles as a group of Brittany deputies to the Estates-General of 1789 of 1789....
     of Mainz, with other German democrats from about 130 towns in the Rhenish Palatinate, proclaimed the ‘Republic of Mainz
    Republic of Mainz

    The Republic of Mainz was the first democracy state on the current Germany territory and was centered in Mainz. A product of the French Revolutionary Wars, it lasted from March to July 1793....
    ’. Led by Georg Forster
    Georg Forster

    Johann Georg Adam Forster was a Germany natural history, ethnology, travel literature, journalist, and revolutionary. At an early age, he accompanied his father on several scientific expeditions, including James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific Ocean....
     representatives of the Mainz Republic in Paris
    Paris

    Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
     requested political affiliation of the Mainz Republic with France, but too late: As Prussia
    Prussia

    Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
     was not entirely happy with the idea of a democratic free state on German soil, Prussian troops had already occupied the area and besieged Mainz by the end of March, 1793. After a siege
    Siege of Mainz

    In the Siege of Mainz from 14 April – 23 July 1793, a coalition of Kingdom of Prussia, Habsburg Monarchy, and other Kleinstaaterei besieged and captured Mainz from French First Republic....
     of 18 weeks, the French troops in Mainz surrendered on 23 July 1793; Prussians occupied the city and ended the Republic of Mainz. Members of the Mainz Jacobin Club
    Jacobin Club

    The Jacobin Club was the largest and most powerful political club of the French Revolution. It originated as the Club Benthorn, formed at Versailles as a group of Brittany deputies to the Estates-General of 1789 of 1789....
     were mistreated or imprisoned and punished for treason.
    Jeanbon2
    In 1797, the French returned. The army of Napoléon Bonaparte
    Napoleon I of France

    Napoleon Bonaparte later known as Emperor Napoleon I, was a military and political leader of France whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century....
     occupied the German territory to the west of the Rhine
    Rhine

    File:Swiss Grand Canyon.jpgThe Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe, at , with an average discharge of more than ....
     river, and the Treaty of Campo Formio
    Treaty of Campo Formio

    The Treaty of Campo Formio or Peace of Campo Formio was signed on October 17, 1797 by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Ludwig von Cobenzl as representatives of France and Austria....
     awarded France this entire area. On 17 February 1800, the French
    Département du Mont-Tonnerre
    Mont-Tonnerre

    Mont-Tonnerre is the name of a d?partement in France of the First French Empire in present Germany. It is named after the highest point in the Rhenish Palatinate, the Donnersbergkreis#Geography....
    was founded here, with Mainz as its capital, the Rhine
    Rhine

    File:Swiss Grand Canyon.jpgThe Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe, at , with an average discharge of more than ....
     river being the new eastern frontier of la Grande Nation. Austria
    Austria

    Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....
     and Prussia
    Prussia

    Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
     could not but approve this new border with France in 1801. However, after several defeats in Europe during the next years, the weakened Napoléon and his troops had to leave Mainz in May 1814.

    Hessian Mainz

    In 1816, the part of the former French Département which is known today as Rhenish Hesse was awarded to the Hesse-Darmstadt
    Grand Duchy of Hesse

    The Grand Duchy of Hesse was a former state that existed in modern-day Germany. It was formed in 1806 after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire as a result of the actions of Napoleon, who then elevated the former Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt to the level of grand duchy....
    , Mainz being the capital of the new Hessian
    Hesse

    Hesse is a States of Germany of Germany with an area of 21,110 km? and just over six million inhabitants. The state capital is Wiesbaden. Hesse's largest city is nearby Frankfurt am Main....
     province of Rhenish Hesse. From 1816 to 1866, to the German Confederation
    German Confederation

    The German Confederation was the association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to serve as the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, which had been abolished in 1806....
     Mainz was the most important fortress in the defence against France, and had a strong garrison of Austria
    Austria

    Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....
    n and Prussia
    Prussia

    Prussia was, most recently, a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This state had for centuries substantial influence on Germany and European history....
    n troops.

    In the afternoon of 18 November 1857, a huge explosion rocked Mainz when the city’s powder magazine, the
    Pulverturm, exploded. Approximately 150 people were killed and at least 500 injured; 57 buildings were destroyed and a similar number severely damaged in what was to be known as the Powder Tower Explosion or Powder Explosion.

    During the Austro-Prussian War
    Austro-Prussian War

    The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Kingdom of Italy on the other, that resulted in Prussian dominance over the German states....
     in 1866, Mainz was declared a neutral zone. After the founding of the German Empire
    German Empire

    The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from the unification of Germany and proclamation of William I, German Emperor as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became Weimar republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of William II, German Emperor ....
     in 1871, Mainz no longer was as important a stronghold, because in the war of 1870/71
    Franco-Prussian War

    The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between Second French Empire and Kingdom of Prussia, while Prussia was backed by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Grand Duchy of Baden, History of W?rttemberg#The Kingdom...
     France had lost the territory of Alsace-Lorraine
    Alsace-Lorraine

    Alsace-Lorraine was a territorial entity created by the German Empire in 1871 after the annexation of most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine in the Franco-Prussian War....
     to Germany, and this defined the new border between the two countries.

    Industrial expansion

    Mainz Blickzumrhein 1890
    For centuries the inhabitants of the fortress of Mainz had suffered from a severe shortage of space which led to disease and other inconveniences. In 1872 Mayor Carl Wallau
    Carl Wallau

    Friedrich Carl Wallau .Being a printer, Carl Wallau in 1844 founded his printing plant, the "Graphische Kunstanstalt" in Mainz.On June 7, 1872, Wallau was elected mayor of the city of Mainz....
     and the council of Mainz persuaded the military government to sign a contract to expand the city. Beginning in 1874, the city of Mainz assimilated the
    Gartenfeld, an idyllic area of meadows and fields along the banks of the Rhine River to the north of the rampart. The city expansion more than doubled the urban area which allowed Mainz to participate in the industrial revolution
    Industrial Revolution

    The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, production, and transportation had a profound effect on the socioeconomics and cultural conditions in United Kingdom....
     which had previously avoided the city for decades.

    Eduard Kreyßig was the man who made this happen. Having been the master builder of the city of Mainz since 1865, Kreyßig had the vision for the new part of town, the Mainz
    Neustadt. He also planned the first sewer system for the old part of town since Roman times and persuaded the city government to relocate the railway line from the Rhine side to the west end of the town. The main station
    Mainz Hauptbahnhof

    is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Mainz in the Germany state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is used by about 55,000 travelers and visitors each day and is therefore one of the busiest 21 stations in Germany....
     was built from 1882 to 1884 according to the plans of Philipp Johann Berdellé (1838–1903).

    The Mainz master builder constructed a number of state-of-the-art public buildings, including the Mainz town hall — which was the largest of its kind in Germany at that time — as well a synagogue, the Rhine harbour and a number of public baths and school buildings. Kreyßig's last work was Christ Church (
    Christuskirche), the largest Protestant church in the city and the first building constructed solely for the use of a Protestant congregation.

    In the 20th century

    After World War I
    World War I

    World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
     the French
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
     occupied Mainz between 1919 and 1930 according to the Treaty of Versailles
    Treaty of Versailles

    The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaty at the end of World War I. It ended the declaration of war between German Empire and Allies of World War I....
     which went into effect 28 June 1919. The Rhineland
    Rhineland

    The Rhineland is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. After the collapse of the First French Empire in the early 19th century, the German-speaking regions at the middle and lower course of the Rhine were annexed to the kingdom of Prussia....
     (in which Mainz is located) was to be a demilitarized zone until 1935 and the French garrison, representing the
    Triple Entente
    Triple Entente

    File:Map Europe alliances 1914-en.svgThe Triple Entente was the name given to the loose alignment of the British Empire, French Third Republic, and Russian Empire after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
    , was to stay until reparations were paid.

    In 1923 Mainz participated in the Rhineland separatist movement that proclaimed a republic in the Rhineland. It collapsed in 1924. The French withdrew on 30 June 1930. Adolf Hitler
    Adolf Hitler

    Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born Germany politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , popularly known as the Nazi Party....
     became chancellor of Germany in January, 1933 and his political opponents, especially those of the Social Democratic Party, were either incarcerated or murdered. Some were able to move away from Mainz in time. One was the political organizer for the SPD, Friedrich Kellner
    Friedrich Kellner

    August Friedrich Kellner was a mid-level official in Germany who worked as a justice inspector in Mainz and Laubach. During the First World War, Kellner was an infantryman in a Hesse regiment....
    , who went to Laubach, where as the chief justice inspector of the district court he continued his opposition against the Nazis by recording their misdeeds in a 900-page diary.

    In March, 1933, a detachment from the National Socialist Party
    National Socialist German Workers Party

    The 'National Socialist German Workers' Party', , commonly known in English as the , was a racialist, totalitarian political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945....
     in Worms
    Worms, Germany

    Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over title of "Oldest City in Germany"....
     brought the party to Mainz. They hoisted the swastika
    Swastika

    The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at Angle#Types of angles, in either right-facing form or its mirrored left-facing form....
     on all public buildings and began to denounce the Jewish population in the newspapers. In 1936 the forces of the Third Reich reentered the Rhineland with a great fanfare, the first move of the Third Reich's meteoric expansion. The former Triple Entente took no action.

    During World War II
    World War II

    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
     the citadel at Mainz hosted the Oflag XII-B prisoner of war camp.

    The Bishop of Mainz formed an organization to help Jews escape from Germany.

    During World War II
    World War II

    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
    , more than 30 air raids destroyed about 80 percent of Mainz city centre, including most of the historic buildings. Mainz fell to XII Corps, 90th Division, of the Third Army under the command of General George S. Patton
    George S. Patton

    George Smith Patton, Jr. was a distinguished though controversial United States Army officer.Commissioned in the army in 1909, Patton participated in the Pancho Villa Expedition to capture Pancho Villa in 1916-17....
    , Jr. on 22 March 1945. Patton used the ancient strategic gateway through
    Germania Superior to cross the Rhine south of Mainz, drive down the Danube
    Danube

    The Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg River rivers which join at the eponymously named German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows eastwards for a distance...
     towards Czechoslovakia
    Czechoslovakia

    Czechoslovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe that existed from October 1918 until 1992 . On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia....
     and end the possibility of a Bavarian redoubt crossing the Alps in Austria when the war ended. With regard to the Roman road over which Patton attacked Trier, he said:

    one could almost smell the coppery sweat and see the low dust clouds where those stark fighters moved forward into battle.


    From 1945 to 1949, the city was part of the French zone of occupation. When the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate
    Rhineland-Palatinate

    Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 States of Germany of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz....
     was founded on 18 May 1947, Koblenz
    Koblenz

    Koblenz is a city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle River, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated....
     was the temporary capital; in 1950 Mainz became the capital of the new state. In 1962, the diarist, Friedrich Kellner
    Friedrich Kellner

    August Friedrich Kellner was a mid-level official in Germany who worked as a justice inspector in Mainz and Laubach. During the First World War, Kellner was an infantryman in a Hesse regiment....
    , returned to spend his last years in Mainz. His life in Mainz, and the impact of his writings, is the subject of the Canadian documentary My Opposition: the Diaries of Friedrich Kellner
    My Opposition: the Diaries of Friedrich Kellner

    My Opposition - The Diaries of Friedrich Kellner is a 2007 documentary film about an orphaned American who went in search of his German grandfather and discovered a secret diary written during the time of the Third Reich....
    .

    Following the withdrawal of French forces from Mainz, the U.S. Army Europe occupied the military bases in Mainz. Today USAREUR only occupies McCulley Barracks in Wackernheim and the Mainz Sand Dunes
    Mainz Sand Dunes

    The Mainz Sand Dunes are a small, but geo-ecologically and botanical supra-regional important nature preserve in Mainz. Within this protected area rare plants and animals can be found....
     for training area. Mainz is home to the headquarters of the
    Bundeswehr
    s Wehrbereichskommando
    Military district

    Military districts are formation s of a state's armed forces which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters, and in countries with conscript forces, often handle parts of the conscription cycle....
     II and other units.

    Community


    Culture

    • As city in the Greater Region
      Greater Region

      The Greater Region of Saarland-Lorraine -Luxembourg -Rhineland-Palatinate-Wallonia-French Community of Belgium- and German-speaking Community of Belgium has not found a specific shortcut yet....
      , Mainz participated in the program of the year of European Capital of Culture
      European Capital of Culture

      The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its culture life and cultural development....
       2007.
    • The Walk of Fame of Cabaret
      Walk of Fame of Cabaret

      The Walk of Fame of Cabaret is a sidewalk between Proviant-Magazin and Sch?nborner Hof in Mainz, Germany, which is embedded with more than 40 seven-pointed irregularly shaped stars featuring the names of cabaret celebrity selected by a group of experts and honored by several sponsors for their contributions to the cabaret culture....
       may be found nearby the Schillerplatz.
    • Every year in the period before Lent
      Lent

      Lent, in Christianity, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. Conventionally it is described as being forty days long, though different Christian denominations calculate the forty days differently....
      , Mainz celebrates one of Germany's largest Carnival
      Carnival

      Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during January and February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus , masque and public street party....
      s, culminating on Rosenmontag
      Rosenmontag

      Rosenmontag is the highlight of the German "Karneval" , and is on the Shrove Monday before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The "Mardi Gras," though celebrated on Tuesday, is a comparison....
      .
    • The music publisher
      Music publisher

      This article deals with contemporary popular music publishing. For printed publishing of classical music, see History of music publishing.In the music industry, a music publisher is responsible for ensuring the songwriters and composers receive payment when their musical compositions are used commercially....
       Schott Music
      Schott Music

      Schott Music is one of the oldest Germany publisher of sheet musics. It is also one of the largest music publishing houses in Europe and is currently the second oldest music publishing house....
       is located in Mainz.
    • The one of the oldest brass instrument manufacturer in the world, Gebr. Alexander
      Gebr. Alexander

      Gebr. Alexander, of Mainz, Germany, is a manufacturer of instruments, founded in 1782 by Franz Ambros Alexander and still in business today. The company claims to be the oldest musical instrument manufacturing company in Germany....
       is located in Mainz.


    Sport

    The local football club 1. FSV Mainz 05
    1. FSV Mainz 05

    1. FSV Mainz 05, is a Germany football List of football clubs in Germany based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate....
     has a long history in the German football leagues. It is currently intending to build a new stadion called Coface Arena
    Coface Arena

    Coface Arena is a multi-use stadium near Mainz, Germany, that is currently under construction. Once completed in 2009, it will be used mostly for football matches and will host the home matches of 1....
    . In 2007 the Mainz Athletics
    Mainz Athletics

    The Baseball- und Softball-Club Mainz Athletics 1988 e.V. is a German baseball and softball club located in the city of Mainz in Rhineland-Palatinate....
     won the German Men's Championsship in baseball
    German champions (baseball)

    In Baseball, the German championship of the men is determined in the Bundesliga .In Softball, the German championship of the women is determined in the Bundesliga ....
    . As a result of the 2008 invasion of Georgia by Russian troops, Mainz acted as a neutral venue for the Geogian Vs Republic of Ireland football game

    Attractions

    • Roman-Germanic central museum (Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum). It is home to Roman, Medieval, and earlier artifacts.
    • Antique Maritime Museum (Museum für Antike Schifffahrt). It houses the remains of five Roman boats from the late 4th century, discovered in the 1980s.
    • Roman remains, including Jupiter's column, Drusus' mausoleum, the ruins of the theatre and the aqueduct.
    • Mainz Cathedral of St. Martin
      Mainz Cathedral

      Mainz Cathedral, formally known in English as St. Martin Cathedral is located near the historical center and pedestrianized market square of the city of Mainz, Germany....
       (Mainzer Dom), over 1,000 years old.
    • The Iron Tower (Eisenturm, tower at the former iron market), a tower from the 13th century.
    • The Wood Tower (Holzturm, tower at the former wood market), a tower from the 14th century.
    • The Gutenberg Museum – exhibits an original Gutenberg Bible amongst many other printed books from the 15th century and later.
    • The Mainz Old Town – what's left of it, the quarter south of the cathedral survived World War II.
    • The Electoral Palace
      Electoral Palace Mainz

      The Electoral Palace in Mainz is the former city Residenz of the Archbishop of Mainz, who was also Prince-Elector of his electoral state within the Holy Roman Empire....
       (Kurfürstliches Schloss), residence of the prince-elector
      Prince-elector

      The Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of Imperial election the Holy Roman Emperors....
       .
    • Marktbrunnen, one of the largest Renaissance fountains in Germany.
    • Domus Universitatis (1615), for centuries the tallest edifice in Mainz.
    • Christ Church (Christuskirche), built 1898–1903, bombed in ’45
      1945

      Year 1945 was a common year starting on Monday . It is most widely known for being the year in which World War II ended. It is also known as the beginning of the Information Age....
       and rebuilt in 1948–1954.
    • The Church of St. Stephan
      St. Stephen's Church, Mainz

      The Collegiate Church of St. Stephan, known in German as St. Stephan zu Mainz, is a Gothic architecture hall collegiate church located in the Germany city of Mainz....
      , with post-war windows by Marc Chagall
      Marc Chagall

      Marc Chagall ; [shuh-GAHL] , was a Jewish Russians artist, born in Belarus and naturalized France in 1937, associated with several key art movements and was one of the most successful artists of the twentieth century....
      .
    • Citadel
      Zitadelle Mainz

      The Mainzer Zitadelle is situated at the fringe of the Mainz-Altstadt in direct proximity to the railway station "Mainz R?misches Theater". The fortress was constructed in 1660 and was an important part of the Fortress Mainz....
      .
    • Schönborner Hof (1668).
    • Rococo
      Rococo

      Rococo is a style of 18th century French art and interior design. Rococo rooms were designed as total works of art with elegant and ornate furniture, small sculptures, ornamental mirrors, and tapestry complementing architecture, reliefs, and wall paintings....
       churches of St. Augustin (the Augustinerkirche, Mainz) and St. Peter (the Petruskirche, Mainz).
    • Church of St. Ignatius (1763).
    • Erthaler Hof (1743).


    Economy


    Wine centre

    Mainz is one of the centers of the German wine
    German wine

    German wine is primarily produced in the southwest of Germany, along river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Ancient Rome era....
     economyas a center for wine trade and the seat of the state's wine minister. Due to the importance and history of the wine industry for the federal state, Rhineland-Palatinate is the only state to have such a department. Many wine traders also work in the town. The sparkling wine
    Sparkling wine

    Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation , or as a result of carbonation....
     producer Kupferberg produces in Mainz-Hechtsheim and even Henkell — now located on the other side of the river Rhine — had been founded once in Mainz. The famous Blue Nun
    Blue Nun

    Blue Nun is a Germany wine brand launched by the company H. Sichel S?hne in 1923 with the 1921 vintage, and which between the 1950s and 1980s was probably the largest international wine brand....
    , one of the first branded wines, had been marketed by the family Sichel.

    Mainz had been a wine growing region since Roman times and the image of the wine town Mainz is fostered by the tourist center. The Haus des Deutschen Weines (English: House of the German Wine), is located in beside the theater. It is the seat of the German Wine Academy, the German Wine Institute (DWI) and the German Wine Fund (DWF). The Mainzer Weinmarkt (wine market) is one of the great wine fairs in Germany.

    Other industries


    The Schott AG, one of the world's largest glass manufactures, as well as the Werner & Mertz
    Werner & Mertz

    File:Erdal-Turm seitlich.jpgWerner & Mertz is a Germany holding company headquartered in Mainz. It manufactures products in cleaning, care and conservation products for bulk and private consumers....
    , a large chemical factory, are based in Mainz. Other companies such as IBM
    IBM

    International Business Machines Corporation, abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue" , is a multinational corporation computer technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, New York, United States....
     or Novo Nordisk
    Novo Nordisk

    Novo Nordisk manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and services. Created in 1989 through a merger of two Danish companies dating back to the 1920s, it has become one of the world's leading companies in diabetes care, where Novo Nordisk pursues research into pulmonary delivery systems; other companies, such as Medtronic, have expan...
     have their German administration in Mainz as well.

    Johann-Joseph Krug, founder of France's famous Krug
    Champagne Krug

    Champagne Krug?a "n?gociant-manipulateur" with offices in Reims, the main city in Champagne?was one of the famous Champagne houses who formed part of the membership of the Grande Marques....
     champagne house in 1843, was born in Mainz in 1800.

    The Port of Mainz
    Port of Mainz

    The Port of Mainz is the port of the city of Mainz, Germany. Lying on the western bank of the Rhine river, it has a long history reaching back through the Middle Ages to Ancient Rome....
    , now handling mainly containers, is a sizable industrial area to the north of the city, along the banks of the Rhine. It will soon shift further northwards to open up space along the city's riverfront for residential development.

    Miscellaneous

    After the last ice age
    Ice age

    The general term "ice age" or, more precisely, "glacial age" denotes a geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in an expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers....
    , sand dunes were deposited in the Rhine valley at what was to become the western edge of the city. The Mainz Sand Dunes
    Mainz Sand Dunes

    The Mainz Sand Dunes are a small, but geo-ecologically and botanical supra-regional important nature preserve in Mainz. Within this protected area rare plants and animals can be found....
     area is now a nature reserve with a unique landscape and rare steppe vegetation for this area.

    Johannes Gutenberg
    Johannes Gutenberg

    Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg was a Germany goldsmith and printer who is credited with being the first European to use movable type printing, in around 1439, and the global inventor of the mechanical printing press....
    , credited with the invention of the modern printing press
    Printing press

    A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a medium , thereby transferring an image. The mechanical systems involved were first assembled in Germany by the goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg around 1439, based on existing screw-presses used to press cloth, grapes etc., and possibly to print wood...
     with movable type, was born here and died here. The Mainz University
    Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

    The Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz is a university in Mainz, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany, named after the printer Johannes Gutenberg....
    , which was refounded in 1946, is named after Gutenberg
    Johannes Gutenberg

    Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg was a Germany goldsmith and printer who is credited with being the first European to use movable type printing, in around 1439, and the global inventor of the mechanical printing press....
    ; the earlier University of Mainz that dated back to 1477 had been closed down by Napoleon's troops in 1798.

    Mainz was one of three important centers of Jewish theology and learning in Central Europe during the Middle Ages. Known collectively as Shum, the cities of Speyer
    Speyer

    Speyer is a city in Germany with approx. 50,000 inhabitants, located beside the river Rhine. It lies 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim....
    , Worms
    Worms, Germany

    Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over title of "Oldest City in Germany"....
     and Mainz played a key role in the preservation and propagation of Talmudic scholarship. (See also: Gershom ben Judah
    Gershom ben Judah

    Gershom ben Judah, best known as Rabbeinu Gershom and also commonly known to scholars of Judaism by the title Rabbeinu Gershom Me'Or Hagolah , was a famous Talmudist and Halakha....
    )

    Mainz is famous for its Carnival
    Carnival

    Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during January and February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus , masque and public street party....
    , the Mainzer Fassenacht or Fassnacht, which has developed since the early 19th century. Carnival in Mainz has its roots in the criticism of social and political injustices under the shelter of cap and bells; today, the uniforms of many traditional Carnival clubs still imitate and caricature the uniforms of the French and Prussian troops of the past. The height of the carnival season is on Rosenmontag ("rose Monday", before Ash Wednesday
    Ash Wednesday

    In the Western Christianity calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days before Easter. It falls on a different date each year, because it is dependent on the Computus; it can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10....
    ), when there is a large parade in Mainz, with more than 500,000 people celebrating in the streets.

    The first ever Katholikentag
    Katholikentag

    Katholikentag is a festival-like gathering in German -speaking countries organized by the Roman Catholicism laity. Katholikentag festivals take place roughly every 2-4 years in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria....
    , a festival-like gathering of German Catholics, was held in Mainz in 1848.

    The city is well-known in Germany as the seat of Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (literally, "Second German Television", ZDF
    ZDF

    Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television television channel based in Mainz. It is run as an independent non-profit agency established by joint contract between the States of Germany ....
    ), one of two federal nationwide TV broadcasters. There are also a couple of radio stations based in Mainz.

    According to legend, Mainz is the supposed birthplace of Pope Joan
    Pope Joan

    Pope Joan is the name of a legendary female pope, , who supposedly reigned for less than three years in the 850s, between the papacies of Pope Leo IV and Benedict III, and is known primarily from a legend that circulated in the Middle Ages....
     (John Anglicus), the woman who, disguised as a man, was elected pope, and served for two years during the Middle Ages
    Middle Ages

    File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
    .

    Notable people

    • List of people related to Mainz
      List of people related to Mainz

      This list indicates renown persons, which have been born in Mainz or which have left their traces Mainz....
    • Archbishops of Mainz
      Archbishopric of Mainz

      The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780?82 and 1802....
    • List of mayors of Mainz


    Twinning

    Mainz is twinned with:
    Watford
    Watford

    Watford is a town and Non-metropolitan district in Hertfordshire, England, situated 19 miles northwest of London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway....
    , United Kingdom
    United Kingdom

    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
    , since 1956 Dijon
    Dijon

    Dijon is a communes of France in eastern France, the capital of the C?te-d'Or Departments of France and of the Bourgogne Regions of France. Dijon is the historical capital of the provinces of France of Burgundy ....
    , France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
    , since 1957 Longchamp
    Longchamp

    Longchamp may refer to:* Longchamp Racecourse, Hippodrome de Longchamp in French* William Longchamp, Chancellor of England.* De Tomaso Longchamp, a two door 2+2 coupe...
    , France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
    , since 1966 Zagreb
    Zagreb

    Zagreb is the Capital and the largest city of Croatia. Zagreb is the Culture of Croatia, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Cinema of Croatia, Economy of Croatia and Government of Croatia center of the Croatia....
    , Croatia
    Croatia

    Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a Central European country at the crossroads of Pannonian Plain, Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea....
    , since 1967 Rodeneck/Rodengo, Italy
    Italy

    Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
    , since 1977
    Valencia
    Valencia (city in Spain)

    Valencia is the capital of the Spanish Valencia and its Valencia . It is the third largest city in Spain and the 21st largest in the European Union....
    , Spain
    Spain

    Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
    , since 1978 Haifa
    Haifa

    Haifa is the largest city in North District Israel, and the List of Israeli cities in the country, with a population of over 264,900. Haifa has a mixed population of Jews and Arabs....
    , Israel
    Israel

    Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....
    , since 1981 Erfurt
    Erfurt

    Erfurt is a city in central Germany. It is the Capital of the state of Thuringia with a population of 202,929 . Erfurt is located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of N?rnberg and 180 km SE of Hannover....
    , former East Germany, since 1988 Baku
    Baku

    Baku , sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bak?, is the capital, the largest city, and the largest port of Azerbaijan....
    , Azerbaijan
    Azerbaijan

    Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan , is the largest and most populous country in the South Caucasus, located partially in Eastern Europe and partially in Western Asia....
    , since 1984 Louisville, Kentucky
    Louisville, Kentucky

    Louisville is Kentucky's largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Kentucky. The city's estimated population as of 2006 is listed as 557,789, with a population of 1,233,733 in the Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area....
    , USA
    United States

    The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
    , since 1994


    Alternative names

    Mainz is called by a number of different names
    Names of European cities in different languages

    Many cities in Europe have different names in different languages. Some cities have also undergone Geographical renaming for political or other reasons....
     in other languages and dialects. These include: Määnz (formerly Meenz) in the local West Middle German dialect, and Mentz
    Mentz

    Mentz may refer to:* Mentz, New York, in the United StatesMentz is also a surname:* August Mentz , Denmark botanist* Judge Henry Mentz , Federal District Judge, American Jurist and Scholar...
     in English
    English language

    English is a West Germanic language that originated in Anglo-Saxon England and has lingua franca status in many parts of the world as a result of the military, economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the British Empire in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and that of the United States from the mid 20th century onwa...
     or Mayence in French
    French language

    French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
    . The latter name was also used in English, but this usage of Mayence has almost completely disappeared, although Google Maps
    Google Maps

    Google Maps is a free web mapping service application and technology provided by Google that powers many map-based services including the Google Maps website, #Google Ride Finder, Google Transit and embedded maps on third-party websites via the Google Maps Application programming interface....
     and Google Earth
    Google Earth

    Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographic information program that was originally called Earth Viewer, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004....
     are using it. Other names for this city are: Magonza (Italian
    Italian language

    Italian is a Romance languages spoken by about 63 million people as a first language, primarily in Italy. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four Linguistic geography of Switzerlands....
    ), Maguncia (Spanish
    Spanish language

    Spanish or Castilian is a Romance languages that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade....
    ), Majnc (Serbian
    Serbian language

    name=Serbian|nativename=|pronunciation=['sr?pski?]|familycolor=Indo-European|map=|states=See below under "Official status", besides that in Croatia and as an immigrant's language spread over Central Europe and Western Europe, as well as Northern America...
    ), Mogúncia (Portuguese
    Portuguese language

    Portuguese is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia and Portugal. It is derived from the Latin language spoken by the Romanization Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula around 2000 years ago....
    ), Moguncja (Polish
    Polish language

    Polish , an official language of Poland, has the largest number of speakers of any West Slavic languages. Polish-speakers use the language in a uniform manner through most of Poland, and it has a regular orthography....
    ), Moguntiacum (Latin
    Latin

    Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
    ), and Mohuc (Czech
    Czech language

    Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czech people worldwide....
    , Slovak
    Slovak language

    The Slovak language , sometimes incorrectly called ?Slovakian?, is an Indo-European languages that belongs to the West Slavic languages .The Czech and Slovak languages are Mutual intelligibility which means that even after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia Czech may be used in all official proceedings and documents in Slovakia, and vice ver...
    ).

    See also



    Further reading

    • Denis B. Saddington: The stationing of auxiliary regiments in Germania Superior in the Julio-Claudian period.
    • Valerie M. Hope: Constructing Identity: The Roman Funerary Monuments of Aquelia, Mainz and Nimes; British Archaeological Reports (16. Juli 2001) ISBN 978-1841711805
    • Michael Imhof, Simone Kestin: Mainz City and Cathedral Guide. Michael Imhof Verlag; (15. September 2004) ISBN 978-3937251936


    External links