Pre 20th Century History

The area around Stuttgart was inhabited by a Germanic tribe called the Alemanni when the Romans took over in the 1st century AD and established a fortress at Cannstatt. Another German clan, the Suevi, arrived in the 5th century. After the Romans, the region went through a succession of rulers - the Frankish Empire, the Carolingian Dynasty and Charlemagne, to name a few.

By the 9th century, the area became part of the duchy of Swabia, which encompassed much of southern Germany as well as parts of Switzerland and France. Although it fell under the umbrella of the Holy Roman Empire, Swabia maintained a certain level of independence and influence, especially during the reign of Konrad III, who became king of the Holy Roman Empire in 1138.

In 950, Duke Liudolf von Schwaben founded a stud farm (Stuotgarten) from which the city of Stuttgart took its name and coat of arms. Stuttgart became a city in the 13th century, around the time Swabia fell under the rule of Württemberg. The growing city got a boost in the 15th century, when it was declared the capital of Württemberg.

Political unrest and tussles for power plagued the area throughout the Middle Ages, with the Thirty Years' War taking a brutal toll. The annual Cannstatter Volksfest began in 1818 as King Wilhelm I's reward to his people after enduring a terrible famine.

In the 19th century, the region became industrialised, and the inventions of Gottleib Daimler (petrol engine) and Robert Bosch (spark plug) revolutionised the city. In 1871, Württemberg joined the newly united German Empire.

Modern History

The advent of the age of spontaneous combustion saw Stuttgart become a leader in the manufacture of motor vehicles. The Daimler-Benz factory began manufacturing in 1926, and, not to be outdone, Ferdinand Porsche also set up shop here. Stuttgart was heavily bombed in WWII, but the city quickly rebuilt and painstakingly restored many of its historical buildings. Stuttgart was named the provincial capital in 1953.

Recent History

Today, Stuttgart is Germany's eighth-largest city, and although it has something of a well-deserved reputation for being an industrial centre, enlightened town planning throughout the 20th century has made it appealingly green. It attracts almost a million visitors a year with its impressive museums and air of relaxed prosperity.