“He was a ‘good-luck pig’ and a trailblazer”

The tenth day of December, 2024 marks the 300^th anniversary of the birth of Prince-elector Charles Theodore. Hiram Kümper, professor of history and Charles Theodore chair at the University of Mannheim, talks about the preferences, talents and oddities of the ruler whose legacy continues to shape the region to this day.

Professor Kümper, why is it still relevant today to remember Charles Theodore? 
Charles Theodore was one of the great trailblazers, with a particular impact around here. Rhine-Neckar is an innovation-driven region with influential traditional companies. This connection between technology, science and business actually has its origins in the reign of Charles Theodore. He transformed the Electoral Palatinate into a progressive agricultural, economic and cultural region.

Charles Theodore grew up in Brussels. Do we know anything about the beginning of his life here? 
Not much is known about the early years of his reign, but he must have felt very comfortable here. He quickly made the Mannheim court his own and expanded it; not only the buildings, but also court life hiring artists and scientists. And he brought to his court what we’d call start-ups today: people with crazy ideas looking for investment capital.

Apart from the court in Mannheim, it is above all the residence in Schwetzingen that bears Charles Theodore’s mark... 
Yes, what happened to the court in Schwetzingen is similar to the one in Mannheim: There had been a building there already, but the Prince-elector completely rebuilt the Schwetzingen Palace. It became his summer residence, which means that the entire court would move to Schwetzingen for the summer months, sometimes even with furniture. The palace garden, in particular, is quintessentially Charles Theodore. It reflects his self-image. He transferred his political, economical and cultural programme through it and demonstrated his ideas of the Enlightenment there.

Art, culture, science, politics—everything flourished during his reign between 1742 and 1777. What can be said about Charles Theodore as a politician? 
In foreign policy, he managed to assert himself with great skill between France, the imperial power of Vienna and the King of Prussia, and to avoid all the wars of the time—and there were more than a few. He was involved, too, but always in the second row through providing troop contingents and financing. He managed to basically keep the war out of the Electoral Palatinate. This was the reason why Frederick II, King in Prussia, somewhat enviously referred to Charles Theodore as a ‘good-luck pig.’

And what about his patronage of the arts? 
Charles Theodore made Mannheim one of Europe’s cultural centres. It may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s simply true. This applies, for example, to the court music, which is famous throughout Europe. It was not for nothing that Mozart strove to come here. The Prince-elector was also very interested in the Antiquity, expanded the hall of Antiquity and founded the Academy of Sciences in 1763, which was not so common at rather small courts. In doing so, he put Mannheim on a par with metropolises such as Berlin, Munich or Paris.

How did he advance science?  
In the 1770s, the whole world was looking to Käfertal. Journalists from Paris, Russia and Denmark would travel there. A Walloon by the name of Lemaitre ran a special laboratory estate in the Prince-elector’s hunting grounds, where new techniques were tried out. He was commissioned to grow rhubarb and cultivate it for the first time in Europe. The story has been handed down to us in great detail, including how the seeds were brought to the Prince-elector by two journeymen who convinced him to invest. Although the project ultimately failed, the whole world looked to Käfertal and saw that research was being conducted here at the cutting edge of technology. 

What were your first points of contact with Charles Theodore as a historian?  
It may sound a bit dusty and boring at first, but… it was the statistics of the Electoral Palatinate. On closer inspection it is something that is very revealing about him. Charles Theodore was one of the first Prince-electors to introduce state statistics and to have regular statistical surveys conducted of his entire electorate. This enabled him to make precise political decisions. This was incredibly modern and demonstrated his and his political advisors’ particular foresight. Only because he collected that much data do we know so much about his reign.

Charles Theodore assumed the Bavarian electorate in 1777 and moved to Munich. Was this a shock for Mannheim?  
Absolutely. Charles Theodore was very popular here. And the move was a catastrophe for Mannheim. The entire city had adjusted to this court during the relatively short period of his 50-year residence in Mannheim and was largely dependent on the court economically. However, Charles Theodore had founded the National Theatre immediately before he left the city and thus left behind not only a rich cultural legacy, but also an economically important one, especially for that time.

Apart from Mannheim Palace and the residence in Schwetzingen, what else in the region can you trace to the ruler Charles Theodore?  
Charles Theodore shaped the Electoral Palatinate like no one before or since. You can’t get past him, because he had a huge impact on the area. His traces can be found in many small towns. Sometimes columns with his emblem are used as waypoints. His innovations are still present. On the occasion of the anniversary, there was a bicycle tour along the former Maulbeerallee (mulberry avenue) that Charles Theodore had laid out between Heidelberg and Schwetzingen in order to establish his own silk production. Mulberry trees can still be found there today. He brought porcelain factories to Frankenthal. And the Karlstern structure in the Käfertal forest reminds us of the Prince-elector’s hunting ground as he was a passionate hunter.

Why was it important to him to have luxury products such as silk and porcelain manufactured in the region?  
Charles Theodore was looking for something that could be exported to boost the economy. And there was little competition in these industries. He turned Frankenthal, together with his minister Joseph Fontanesi, into an economic centre and made it the third capital city, as it was then seen, after Mannheim and Schwetzingen. The location of Frankenthal in a plain with sufficient space was favourable for establishing manufacturing industries.

What buildings still bear witness to the Prince-elector? 
Charles Theodore had the Old Bridge as a stone bridge built in Heidelberg. He also had himself immortalized there in the form of a sculpture. One of my personal favourite places is the observatory near Mannheim Palace. Technically, it is a very significant building. It has remained an impressive place, and it is a great feeling even today when you climb the tower and look out over Mannheim and Ludwigshafen from there.