▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁reform ▁the ▁composition ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Bundes l änder , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁created ▁a ▁new ▁state ▁around ▁a ▁un ited ▁Mann heim - L ud wig sh afen ▁as ▁capital ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁inhabitants , ▁failed . ▁ ▁Nevertheless , ▁further ▁am bit ious ▁projects ▁were ▁fin anced ▁in ▁Ludwig sh afen , ▁first ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁ 1 5 - floor ▁city ▁hall ▁with ▁its ▁linked - up ▁sho pping ▁centre ▁( R ath aus ▁Center ). ▁The ▁last ▁( up ▁to ▁now ) ▁ ▁new ▁incorpor ated ▁sub urb ▁was ▁R uch heim ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁ ▁But ▁then ▁a ▁process ▁began ▁that ▁acceler ated ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁and ▁caused ▁the ▁financial ▁near - collapse ▁of ▁Ludwig sh afen . ▁The ▁enorm ous ▁maintenance ▁costs ▁of ▁the ▁buildings ▁and ▁institutions ▁introduced ▁during ▁the ▁“ f at ▁time ”, ▁new ▁tax ▁reg ulations ▁that ▁cut ▁down ▁the ▁trade ▁tax ▁prof its ▁from ▁the ▁local ▁indust ries , ▁and ▁thousands ▁of ▁dismiss als ▁in ▁B AS F ▁were ▁the ▁main ▁causes ▁for ▁the ▁city ' s ▁crisis . ▁L oss ▁of ▁population ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁working ▁places ▁and ▁general ▁economic ▁tr ends , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁oil ▁cr ises , ▁further ▁w ors ened ▁Ludwig sh afen ' s ▁financial ▁situation ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁negative ▁aspects ▁of ▁industrial