. ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁area , ▁however , ▁remained ▁sw am pl and , ▁with ▁its ▁development ▁h inder ed ▁by ▁season al ▁flo oding ▁of ▁the ▁Rh ine . ▁ ▁The ▁Rhein sch anze ▁ ▁The ▁Rh ine ▁Ne ck ar ▁region ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁territory ▁of ▁the ▁Prince - elect or ▁of ▁the ▁Kur pf al z , ▁or ▁Elect or ate ▁of ▁the ▁Pal at inate , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁states ▁within ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁The ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁Kur pf al z , ▁Mann heim , ▁was ▁a ▁decis ive ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁as ▁a ▁whole . ▁Par allel ▁to ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁Mann heim ▁in ▁ 1 6 0 6 , ▁a ▁for tr ess ▁( die ▁Rhein sch anze ) ▁was ▁built ▁by ▁Frederick ▁IV , ▁Elect or ▁Pal at ine ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Mann heim , ▁thus ▁forming ▁the ▁nucle us ▁of ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Ludwig sh afen ▁itself . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁dev ast ated ▁and ▁dep op ulated ▁during ▁the ▁Th irty ▁Years ' ▁War , ▁and ▁also ▁in ▁King ▁Louis ▁XIV ▁of ▁France ’ s ▁wars ▁of ▁con quest ▁in ▁the ▁later ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁century . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁only ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁that ▁the ▁settlement s ▁around ▁the ▁Rhein sch anze ▁began ▁to ▁prosper , ▁prof iting