We are in the second half of the 18th century. The spirit of the Enlightenment blew through Europe and also fell on fertile ground in the Electoral Palatinate. Elector Carl Theodor had been in charge of the residential city of Mannheim since 1742. Under his rule, the city developed into one of the most important centers of Baroque Europe. The economy flourished and art and science also experienced a heyday. In 1760, the 27-year-old Johann Jakob Hemmer came to Mannheim. His degree in philosophy, mathematics and theology from Cologne helped him to gain a position as chaplain at the Elector's court. Like the regent, Hemmer was extremely interested in the natural sciences. The "Electoral Palatinate Academy of Sciences", founded in Mannheim in 1763 at the suggestion of Voltaire, was therefore a stroke of luck for him. There, Hemmer was able to pursue his thirst for research without restriction. In 1776, for example, he developed a five-pronged lightning rod, which quickly became widespread in southern Germany and can still be seen today on the roofs of Schwetzingen Castle. In the field of meteorology, however, the universal genius did not make a name for himself with the "Hemmer five-pointed spike", but with his contribution to meteorology. Under his leadership, the "Societas Meteorologica Palatina" was founded at the Mannheim Academy in 1780. Its aim: accurate weather forecasts to increase agricultural yields. Through contacts with the Jesuit order, Hemmer subsequently set up the first worldwide weather observation network. At 39 stations - from the Urals to North America - helpers recorded the weather conditions using the same equipment and standardized procedures and transmitted their data to Mannheim for evaluation. Although Hemmer's death in 1790 meant the end of systematic weather recording for the time being, the standards he developed formed the basis for modern weather statistics. Even today, the most important parameters such as temperature, wind direction and humidity are still measured at the so-called "Mannheim hours" - 7 a.m., 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. - and used to calculate daily and annual averages. More exciting news from the region at: www.wosonst.eu