German Cities Stuttgart

Stuttgart is the capital city of Baden-WA?rttemberg, as well as the sixth largest urban area in Germany, with a population of just under 600,000 people. Stuttgart occupies a smaller area than most German cities, spanning over only 80.1 square miles (207.36 km. sq.) of land. The surrounding metropolitan area, which is called the Stuttgart Region, has a much larger population, and is home to nearly three million Germans. Stuttgart boasts an unusual topography for most German cities, as it is laid out across many different hills and valleys, and contains a number of parks, which surprises many tourists who think of Stuttgart primarily as an industrial center. Stuttgart is also a center of modern business, describing itself in promotional slogans as, “The Creative Power of Germany,” “Where Business Meets the Future,” and “The New Heart of Europe.”

Like many other German cities, Stuttgart was first occupied by the Romans, who had an established settlement in the area of the modern city from the first century CE through around 260 CE, when the Alamanni drove them off. Although the area remained inhabited, Stuttgart itself was not founded until 950 CE, as a breeding town for cavalry horses. The counts of WA?rttemberg, who gained control of the area in the fourteenth century, made Stuttgart the capital city of the territory. When Napoleon Bonaparte disbanded the Holy Roman Empire early in the nineteenth century, Stuttgart became the capital of the Kingdom of WA?rttemberg, which was later incorporated into Germany as a whole during the German Unification. During this time, the construction of a new railway station, as well as the invention of the automobile and the industrial revolution, revitalized the city’s ailing economy. The population tripled.

During the twentieth century, Stuttgart experienced a string of events similar to those seen in other German cities. During the era of the Weimar Republic, Stuttgart was proclaimed the capital of the state of WA?rttemberg, which was formed out of the previously sovereign Kingdom of WA?rttemberg. During the Second World War, much of the city center was destroyed in Allied air raids, and much of the Jewish population was deported to concentration camps or fled elsewhere. Stuttgart became the Cold War command base of EUCOM, the U.S. European Command that oversaw all military personnel stationed in Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic.

Stuttgart stands out among German cities for the strength of its cultural background. The state theater, the state gallery, and the state opera are all headquartered there, making Stuttgart a center of German culture. The city also boasts many museums, a strong musical theater scene, a sports arena, world famous cuisine, and a number of yearly events and festivals.