Mainz ( /ˈmaɪnts/) is the capital of the land of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It was the capital of the Electorate of Mainz at the time of the Holy Roman Empire. In antiquity Mainz was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire. The city is located on the river Rhine across from Wiesbaden, in the western part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Region; in the modern age, Frankfurt shares much of its regional importance.
Mainz was founded as a military post by the Romans in the late 1st century BC. The first books printed using movable type were manufactured in Mainz by Gutenberg in the early 1450s. Until the twentieth century, Mainz was usually referred to in English as Mayence.
Mainz is located on the west bank of the river Rhine, opposite the confluence of the Main with the Rhine. The population in 2008 was 196,784, an additional 18,619 people maintain a primary residence elsewhere but have a second home…