Planken
The Planken are the main shopping street in Mannheim and form the central east-west axis in Mannheim’s city centre. Over 800 metres, they connect the striking water tower with Paradeplatz. There they intersect with the central north-south axis, Breite Strasse or Kurpfalzstrasse. The name Planken dates back to the 17th century and refers to palisades on the sandy ground between the citadel and the city. The buildings on the Planken, like most of Mannheim’s inner city, fell victim to the Second World War; accordingly, the inner city was rebuilt according to the historical squares in post-war Germany.
Engelhardt Haus
The prominent building on the right-hand edge of the street block is the Engelhardt Haus. It was opened in 1961 as Teppichhaus Engelhardt. In 1969, in the course of a conversion, it was given the striking aluminium façade with rectangular structures made of full-mould casting by the painter and sculptor Ernst W. Kuntz. After the carpet house closed in 2001, the Eva-und-Horst-Engelhardt-Stiftung first moved in, which has since sold the building to the Engelhorn company. Engelhorn also uses the modern building adjoining it on the right in the next block. The other buildings in the street are also all post-war buildings, with a striking mirror cladding on the left corner building. Other tenants here in the Panorama are Nespresso, Tommy Hilfiger, MANGO, DSTEP, Franz & Wach, Swarovski, Wempe and Boss.
Amongst the detail pictures on the right you will also find the block adjoining on the right with the Engelhorn fashion house, which can be completed on request and combined with this street block.
