text: Karl Benz developed the world's first compact diesel-powered car at the Benz & Cie. motor works in Mannheim in 1923.
  Julius Hatry built the world's first rocket plane in 1929.
  Dario Fontanella, an Italian guest worker, invented the first Spaghettieis (spaghetti ice cream) in 1969.
  Government and politics
  Mayor
  The mayor is the head of the city council and chairman of the council, being selected by direct suffrage for a term of eight years. The current mayor is  from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
  In 2023, Specht ran in the election for mayor of Mannheim, in which incumbent Peter Kurz (SPD) did not run again, and was supported by the CDU Mannheim, the  and the FDP Mannheim. In the first round of voting on June 18, 2023, he received 45.64% of the vote. On July 9, 2023, he won the second round of voting with 49.9% of the vote, ahead of SPD candidate Thorsten Riehle (48.7%) and independent candidate Uğur Çakir (1.3%).
  Due to an objection to the election results, Specht was initially elected as appointed mayor by the city council. The objection was rejected by the  on August 2, 2023, making Specht's election valid. He took office on August 4, 2023, making him the first CDU mayor in Mannheim since Josef Braun (1945–1948).