Stuttgart history

The origins of Stuttgart can be traced back more than a thousand years ago, when Duke Luitolf of Swabia founded a stud farm (a “Stuotgarten”) in the region. This explains the symbolism of the rearing black stallion, which can be seen on the city’s coat of arms.
Yet Stuttgart’s growth has been gradual. For centuries it was overshadowed by Cannstatt, which lay on the crossroads of major European trade routes, but these days is regarded primarily a Stuttgart suburb.

Stuttgart grew during the middle ages and the town was fortified by the counts of Württemberg, who built a fort on the site now occupied by the Old Castle. Though now a major German city, from 1520 to 1534 Stuttgart was a part of Austria.

Intellectuals often associate Stuttgart with the philosopher Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel, who was born in the city. Stuttgart is now closely associated with precision engineering and the names of Gottlieb Daimler and Robert Bosch. The companies which bear their names continue to play an important role in the economic wellbeing of the region. Locals are proud of the city’s associations with the invention of the motor car.

Stuttgart became the capital of Wuerttemberg in 1918. Baden joined with Wuerttemberg after World War Two and Stuttgart was named the capital of Baden-Wuerttemberg in 1952. The US military made Stuttgart the headquarters for its forces in Europe and Africa (EUCOM). That presence was a factor in the reconstruction of the city following the major structural damage of World War Two. The focus on high quality machinery, engineering and exports helped Stuttgart become one of the centres of the German Wirtschaftswunder or “economic miracle” of post-war reconstruction.

During the 1970s Stuttgart made headlines as the trial venue of the Baader-Meinhof terrorist group.