The Path to Planetenallee
1776–1777
Christian Mayer
Mannheim has a long tradition of astronomy: as far back as the Electorate era, Christian Mayer served as court astronomer at the Mannheim Observatory, and his discovery of double stars brought the Palatinate capital international renown in the field of astronomy.
1927
Planetarium Opening
In 1927, one of the world's first planetariums was inaugurated in Mannheim, but it was demolished in 1953 after sustaining severe war damage.
1984
Planetarium Grand Opening
Thanks to the Friends of the Mannheim Planetarium, an organization founded by Prof. Heinz Haber, a new planetarium was opened in Mannheim in 1984. With its prominent location, the distinctive six-sided pyramid at the entrance to the Augustaanlage marks the gateway to the city.
2025
Opening of Planetenallee
The Planetary Avenue, inaugurated on April 8, 2025, was created by the “Freundeskreis Mannheimer Planetarium e.V.” to promote astronomy education. It provides school classes with basic information about the solar system and the entire universe even as they make their way to the planetarium. For the association, which has over 400 members, the construction of the Planetary Walkway was a massive undertaking, both in terms of time and cost. It could only be realized with the financial support of numerous donors and sponsors.
Our Sponsors:
Hanns-Martin Bräuer • Karin & Carl-Heinrich Esser Foundation • Dr. Jobst Deubner • Hans Freiländer • Großkraftwerk Mannheim AG • Gisela Hudap • Dr. Wolfgang Lengfelder • Mannheimer Parkhausbetriebe GmbH • MVV Energie AG • Hermann Jürgen Ohmstede • Rotary Club Mannheim Support Association (Chartered 1930) • Petra Schneider • Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Foundation • Marianne Streit • Jörg Ueltzhöffer • VDI Nordbaden-Pfalz • VR Bank Rhein-Neckar eG and many other donors.
Idea, Concept & Design: Gunther Schulz
Implementation: Dr. Wolfgang Wacker, Roswitha Henz-Best, Fritz-Jochen Weber, Gunther Schulz
Texts: Dr. Wolfgang Wacker, Roswitha Henz-Best, Gunther Schulz