Heidelberg is in the Rhine Rift Valley, on the left bank of the lower part of the Neckar in a steep valley in the Odenwald. It is bordered by the Königsstuhl (568 m) and the Gaisberg(375 m) mountains. The Neckar here flows in an

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Early history
Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago , "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907. Scientific dating determined his remains as the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century

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The population of the city of Heidelberg exceeded 100,000 for the first time in 1946. It is a city with an international population, including one of the largest American communities outside North America, but this is not analysed in the Heidelberg population

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The old town
The "old town" (German: Altstadt), on the south bank of the Neckar, is long and narrow. It is dominated by

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Universities and academia
Heidelberg is known for its institutions of higher education. The most famous of those is Heidelberg University Founded in 1386, it is one of Europe's oldest institutions. In fact, Heidelberg is the oldest

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Tourism
In 2004, 81.8% of people worked for service industries, including tourism. As a relic of the period of

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Since 2006, the Oberbürgermeister (lord mayor) of Heidelberg has been the independent Eckart Würzner. From 1990 to 2006, the mayor was Beate Weber (SPD).
The council consists of 48 volunteer members with the mayor as chairman. The council is directly elected

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