Moguntia

Moguntia is the Roman name for the city of Mainz in Germany.

Mainz was founded by the Romans around 13 BC at the confluence of the Rhine and Main rivers. Besides Trier, it is the oldest city in Germany. Recent archaeological excavations like the largest Roman theatre north of the Alps, the Isis Temple or the Roman shipwrecks now displayed in the Museum of Ancient Shipbuilding and many others suggest that the significance of Mainz during the Roman period was underestimated for a long time.

When the Romans came, they also brought wine with them. Today, Mainz is located within Germany's largest consecutive winegrowing region, Rheinhessen.

Later, Mainz became a center of the church. The Cathedral was consecrated in 1009, when Mainz was proclaimed "Holy See". The Cathedral is one of the major landmarks today.

Mainz is also the city of Johannes Gutenberg, who invented moveable type printing. This revolutionary invention has enabled the mass production of books. The University of Mainz has been named after Gutenberg.

While Gutenberg's invention has made today's information age possible, Mainz has become a city of the media. The ZDF, one of Germany's nationwide public television channels, is located here. The radio- and television channel SWR operates a regional studio in Mainz. Two newspapers, the Mainzer Allgemeine Zeitung and the Rhein Zeitung are published in Mainz.

Mainz, which today is the capital of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), has excellent transport connections via motorway and rail, including the ICE high speed trains, and is located close to the Frankfurt airport. All in all, its past, present and future makes Mainz a vibrant and exciting city!