Mannheim Observatory

The Mannheim Observatory tower has watched over its home city since the 1770s, though its days as a working astronomical instrument ended well over a century ago.

About Mannheim Observatory

Mannheim Observatory was a tower observatory in Mannheim, Germany, that operated from its construction in the 1770s until 1880. Its scientific work was then carried onward first to Karlsruhe and, from 1898, to the Königstuhl hill near Heidelberg, where its successor institution, the State Observatory Heidelberg-Königstuhl, continues today.

History

The tower was built between 1772 and 1774 and remained an active observatory until 1880. After operations moved on, the tower itself passed into city ownership. It was restored in 1905-1906 and again after the Second World War; since 1958 it has been converted into studio flats.

Location & getting there

The historic tower still stands in Mannheim, in southwestern Germany, though it now serves a residential rather than scientific purpose.

Visiting Mannheim Observatory

As a restored tower now used for private housing, the building itself is not open for astronomical visits; its successor institution near Heidelberg carries on the observatory's original scientific mission.

See your named star from here

Mannheim Observatory's own telescope may be long gone, but the tradition it began lives on at its successor near Heidelberg — and in the night sky above the city, which still holds every star exactly where it's always been. If you've named a star with Star Register, find its story in our star catalogue.