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==Economy==
==Economy==
The Stuttgart area is known for its high-tech industry; some of its most prominent companies include [[Daimler AG]], [[Porsche]], [[Robert Bosch GmbH|Bosch]], [[Celesio]], [[Hewlett-Packard]] and [[International Business Machines|IBM]] - all of whom have their world or German headquarters here. In fact, the Porsche badge, as seen on the front of Porsche cars, has the town's name in the center of the badge, something that is unique amongst the world's vehicle makers.
The Stuttgart area is known for its high-tech industry; some of its most prominent companies include [[Daimler AG]], [[Porsche]], [[Robert Bosch GmbH|Bosch]], [[Celesio]], [[Hewlett-Packard]] and [[International Business Machines|IBM]] -- all of whom have their world or German headquarters here. In fact, the Porsche badge, as seen on the front of Porsche cars, has the town's name in the center of the badge, something that is unique amongst the world's vehicle makers.


===The cradle of the automobile===
===The cradle of the automobile===

Revision as of 21:18, 1 March 2008

For other uses, see Stuttgart (disambiguation).
Stuttgart
Town
Stuttgart Schlossplatz (Castle square)
Stuttgart Schlossplatz (Castle square)
Coat of arms of Stuttgart
Coat of arms
Location of Stuttgart
Map
CountryGermany
StateBaden-Württemberg
Admin. regionStuttgart
DistrictStadtkreis
Founded10th century
Subdivisions23 districts
Government
 • Lord mayorWolfgang Schuster (CDU)
Area
 • Total207.36 km2 (80.06 sq mi)
Elevation
245 m (804 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[1]
 • Total632,865
 • Density3,100/km2 (7,900/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
70173–70619
Dialling codes0711
Vehicle registrationS
Websitewww.stuttgart.de

Stuttgart (IPA: [ˈʃtʊtgaʁt]) is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 595,452 while the metropolitan area referred to as Stuttgart Region has a population of 3.46 million (both: February 2007.)[3]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Stuttgart shows a black, rampant horse on a yellow or golden field. It is a canting seal due to the fact that the name "Stuttgart" is an over the centuries modified version of "Stutengarten", in English roughly "mare garden", a type of stud farm. This is due to the origin of the city as a horse stable in the 10th century, where horses were bred for cavalry (see History).

The Stuttgart-based company Porsche designed part of its logo after the model of Stuttgart's coat of arms.

History

Ca. 950, Stuttgart was founded by Duke Liudolf of Swabia, one of the sons of Holy Roman Emperor Otto I the Great, and used for horse breeding (especially for his father's cavalry, see Battle of Lechfeld).

Ca. 1300, Stuttgart became the residence of the Counts of Württemberg. In 1496, the counts were promoted to dukes by the Holy Roman Emperor. During Napoleon Bonaparte's breakup of the Holy Roman Empire, the Dukes of Württemberg received the title of kings in 1805 and Stuttgart became a royal residence.

The name of the royal family of Württemberg and of the state originates from a steep Stuttgart hill, formerly known as Wirtemberg, nowadays called Württemberg. On top of that hill, the mausoleum from 1824 of Queen Katharina (daughter of Tsar Paul I of Russia) and King William I of Württemberg is located.

During the revolution of 1848/1849, a democratic pan-German national parliament (Frankfurt Parliament) was formed in Frankfurt to overcome the division of Germany. After long discussions, the parliament decided to offer the title of the German emperor to King Frederick William IV of Prussia. As the democratic movement became weaker, the German princes regained control of their independent states. Finally, the Prussian king declined the revolutionaries' offer. The members of the parliament were driven out of Frankfurt, and the most radical members (those who wanted to establish a republic) fled to Stuttgart. A short while later, this rump parliament was dissolved by the Württemberg military.

In 1871, as an autonomous kingdom, Württemberg joined the German Empire, created by Otto von Bismarck, Prime Minister of Prussia, during the unification of Germany. After World War I, the monarchy broke down and the Free State of Württemberg was established, as a part of the Weimar Republic. In 1920, Stuttgart was the seat of the German National Government (since the administration had to flee from Berlin, see Kapp Putsch). During World War II, the city center of Stuttgart was nearly completely destroyed due to Allied air raids.

In 1945 the Allied Forces took control of Germany. They merged parts of the former German States of Baden and Württemberg and later in 1952 on the new, democratic state Baden-Württemberg (3rd largest German state) with Stuttgart as its capital was created by a referendum.

After World War II, an early concept of the Marshall Plan to support the reconstruction and economic/political recovery of Europe was presented during a speech given by US Secretary of State James F. Byrnes at the Stuttgart Opera House (September 6, 1946). This speech led directly to the unification of the British and American occupation zones, resulting in the so called bi-zone. Two years later, the French also joined the bi-zone, creating the tri-zone and thereby paving the way for the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany. Stuttgart, like Frankfurt, was a serious contender to become the federal capital, but finally Bonn succeeded.

In the late 1970s, the city district of Stammheim was center stage of one of the most controversial periods of German post-war history: The Red Army Faction trial at the Stammheim high-security court and the subsequent suicides of Ulrike Meinhof, Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin and Jan-Carl Raspe (all imprisoned in the Stammheim jail). The trial and the period thereafter were accompanied by several new terrorist assaults to liberate the inmates (German Autumn 1977 including the abduction and murder of the German industrialist and President of the German Employers' Association Hanns Martin Schleyer and the hijacking of Lufthansa flight LH181, redirecting the jet to Mogadishu).

During the Cold War, the joint command center of all United States military forces in Europe, Africa and the Atlantic was moved to Stuttgart (US European Command, EUCOM). EUCOM is still headquartered there today. U.S. Army bases in and around Stuttgart include or included the following: Patch Barracks (HQ EUCOM), Robinson Barracks, Panzer Kaserne, Kelley Barracks (General Patton's son once lived there).

Geography

Stuttgart lies about an hour from the Black Forest and a similar distance from the Swabian Jura. The city center, situated in a lush valley, ringed with vineyards and forests, close to the River Neckar, covers an area of 207 square kilometres (80 sq mi). Stuttgart's metropolitan area (the political entity "Stuttgart Region") contains the nearby cities of Ludwigsburg, Böblingen, Esslingen, Waiblingen, Göppingen and their respective districts.

The Stuttgart Region is the nation's fourth largest conurbation (behind Ruhr Area, Rhine/Main Area and Berlin). [citation needed]

City districts

The city of Stuttgart is subdivided into 23 city districts. Among the most well-known are:

Churches

Stuttgart is the seat of a Protestant bishop (Protestant State Church of Württemberg) and one of the two co-seats of the bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese Rottenburg-Stuttgart. The Stuttgart-based pentecostal Biblische Glaubens-Gemeinde is the largest evangelical megachurch in Germany.[citation needed]

Economy

The Stuttgart area is known for its high-tech industry; some of its most prominent companies include Daimler AG, Porsche, Bosch, Celesio, Hewlett-Packard and IBM -- all of whom have their world or German headquarters here. In fact, the Porsche badge, as seen on the front of Porsche cars, has the town's name in the center of the badge, something that is unique amongst the world's vehicle makers.

The cradle of the automobile

The motorbike and four-wheel automobile were invented in Stuttgart (by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz; industrialised in 1887 by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach at the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft). As a result it is considered by many to be the starting point of the worldwide automotive industry, and is referred to as "The cradle of the automobile". Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Maybach are all produced in Stuttgart and nearby towns. The very first prototypes of the VW Beetle were manufactured in Stuttgart, based on a design by Ferdinand Porsche.

View of Stuttgart from the top of the TV Tower

The region currently has Germany's highest density of scientific, academic and research organizations, and tops the national league for patent applications. [citation needed] More than 11% of all R&D-expenses in the Federal Republic of Germany are generated in the Stuttgart Region (approximately 4.3 billion Euro per year). In addition to several universities and colleges (i.a. University of Stuttgart, University of Hohenheim and the several branches of the University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart), the area has six institutes of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, four institutes for collaborative industrial research at local universities, two Max-Planck Institutes, as well as one large-scale research centre—the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).

Stuttgart holds top place of all European Union regions according to the share of employment in high-tech and medium-high tech manufacturing with a figure of 21.0% (2001 data from Eurostat). [citation needed]

The Stuttgart Stock Exchange is the second largest in Germany (second only to Frankfurt Stock Exchange) and important financial companies are headquartered in Stuttgart (e.g. LBBW Bank or Wüstenrot&Württembergische, and Allianz Life Insurance), as well. In addition to these global players, the Stuttgart economy consists of many highly versatile and dynamic medium-sized enterprises (the so-called "Mittelstand").

Furthermore, Stuttgart is still one of Germany's largest wine-growing towns with a century-long tradition and is situated at the geographic center of the "Württemberg Wine Growing Area" (110.30 km², one of 13 official German growing areas, according to the German Wine Law), and also celebrates an annual wine festival called "weindorf". Stuttgart is also home to several famous breweries, such as Stuttgarter Hofbräu, Dinkelacker, and Schwabenbräu.

Transportation

Local transport

Stuttgart Stadtbahn underground station

Stuttgart has a light rail system, known as the Stuttgart Stadtbahn, which has incrementally replaced the city's tram lines. In the city centre as well as in other densely built-up districts of the city, the Stadtbahn runs underground and uses the "U"-symbol (for Untergrund). The last regular tram service (line 15) ceased to operate on December 8th, 2007 and was replaced by the Stadbahn line U15 on the same day. Stuttgart also has a large bus network. The Stadtbahn lines and buses are operated by the Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB), the local public transport operator.

Stuttgart is also served by a rapid transit system called the Stuttgart S-Bahn, which operates on the rails of the national Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG). Although the S-Bahn is operated by a subsidiary company of the DBAG, rather than the SSB, both undertakings are part of the regional transport cooperative, the Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart (VVS), which coordinates tickets and fares among all transport operators in the metropolitan area.

A peculiarity of Stuttgart is the Zahnradbahn, a rack railway operating from Marienplatz in the heart of the city to the Degerloch district; it is the only urban rack railway in Germany and is powered by electricity. The Zahnradbahn has a tray on the front or back of it in which bicycles can be transported free of charge (along with a paying ticketholder). There is also the Standseilbahn Stuttgart, a funicular railway that operates in the city's Heslach district to the forest cemetery (Waldfriedhof), employing cars built of wood. In the Killesberg Park, on a prominent hill in the city, there is the Killesberg park railway run by diesel (and on weekends with steam).

Air links

Stuttgart is served by Stuttgart Airport (in German Flughafen Stuttgart), which is an international airport located approximately 8 miles (13 km) south of the city centre in the neighbouring town of Leinfelden-Echterdingen. The airport is within 30 minutes travelling time from the city using S-Bahn lines S2 or S3. The airport is adjacent to the Autobahn A8.[4]

Rail links

Stuttgart is a hub in the InterCityExpress and InterCity networks of Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG), with through services to Berlin and most other major German cities. There are also international services to Strasbourg, Paris, Vienna and Zurich. These long distance trains call at Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof, the city's main line terminus. In June 2007, an SNCF-operated high speed (TGV) service was inaugurated between Stuttgart and Paris four times a day, with a journey time of 3 hours 40 minutes.[4]

The Hauptbahnhof terminus is also used by DBAG's RegionalExpress and RegionalBahn regional services, which serve other stations in the Stuttgart metropolitan area. Below the terminus are separate underground stations on the city's two local rail networks, the S-Bahn and the Stadtbahn.[4]

Stuttgart is also a rail freight centre, with marshalling yards and a container terminal at Stuttgart Obertürkheim.[4]

Road links

The motorway Autobahn A8 (Luxemburg - Saarbrücken - Karlsruhe - Stuttgart - Munich - Salzburg - Vienna) forms the southern boundary of the city. The city is also served by the Autobahns A81 (Zürich – Singen – Würzburg – Hamburg) and A831.[4]

Waterway links

The city has an inland port at Stuttgart Hedelfingen on the River Neckar.[4]

People, culture, and architecture

File:Stuttgart Oper.jpg
The State Opera House
Neues Schloss and Schlossplatz in Winter 2006
Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Garden, around 1900
Main Building and Baroque Gardens of Ludwigsburg Palace, Germany's largest Baroque Palace

Stuttgart is known for its strong cultural heritage, in particular its State Theater (Staatstheater) and State Gallery (Staatsgallerie). The Staatstheater contains an opera house and three smaller theaters, where opera, ballet, theatre and concerts are produced. The Staatstheater was awarded the title "Theatre of the year" (Germany/Austria/Switzerland) in 2006. The world-renowned Stuttgart Opera won the prestigious "Opera of the year" (Germany/Austria/Switzerland) award six times: 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 and again in 2006. The famous Stuttgart Ballet is connected to names like John Cranko and Marcia Haydée. The city also offers two broadway-style Musical theaters, the Apollo and the Palladium Theater (each approx. 1800 seats).

Stuttgart's Swabian cuisine, beer and wine (produced in the area since the 1600s) are also well known. The Gaisburger Marsch, a stew, was invented in Stuttgart's Gaisburg district. Stuttgart also hosts the world-famous annual "Volksfest", originally a traditional agricultural fair which now also hosts beer tents and a French village and is second in size only to the Oktoberfest in Munich. With more than 3.6 million visitors in 2006, Stuttgart's Christmas Market is the largest and one of the oldest and most beautiful traditional Christmas markets in Europe. It is especially renowned for its abundant decorations.

Stuttgart is home to the Württembergische Landesbibliothek (WLB) state library.

Stuttgart will also be the host city of the 2008 World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships.

Stuttgart's city center was heavily damaged during World War II and its aftermath. Nevertheless, many historic buildings have been reconstructed and the city boasts of some fine pieces of modern post-war architecture.

The famous "Wilhelma" is Germany's only combined zoological and botanical garden. The whole compound was built around 1850 as a summer palace in moorish style for King Wilhelm I of Württemberg. Close to the Wilhelma, there are the Stuttgart city districts of Bad Cannstatt and Berg which are the second largest mineral spas in Europe (only surpassed by Budapest).

Other important towns in the Stuttgart Region are Ludwigsburg with its enormous baroque palace, Sindelfingen and Esslingen.

Sports

In 1992, VfB Stuttgart (a leading Bundesliga football team) claimed the first German Championship title after the reunification of the football federations of West and East Germany (its fourth championship overall). The fifth title was won in 2007, celebrated by 250.000 people when bringing the trophy to the city.

The city also has a reputation for organizing other major sports events. It hosted the 1993 World Championships in Athletics and many other world and European championships of all kind of sports. It was one of the twelve host cities of the FIFA World Cup 2006. Six matches, including the 3rd and 4th place playoff were played at the Daimler Stadium. Stuttgart is also 2007 "European Capital of Sports"[5], hosting events such as the 2007 UCI World Cycling Championships Road Race and the IAAF World Athletics Final.

Stuttgart's third division football club, Stuttgarter Kickers, host its matches at a pure football stadium ("Gazi Stadium"), close to the city's TV tower, in the city district of Degerloch. That stadium is also the home ground of the German first division American Football team Stuttgart Scorpions.

Sportfreunde Stuttgart are another lower-division football team. They are most famous for taking part in the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy in 1908, considered the first World Cup.[6]

Sister cities

Notable residents

Notable people born in Stuttgart or residents who influenced the history of the city:

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stuttgart.

Gallery

External links

References

  1. ^ "Bevölkerung nach Nationalität und Geschlecht am 31. Dezember 2022" [Population by nationality and sex as of December 31, 2022] (CSV) (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Baden-Württemberg. June 2023.
  2. ^ Population and area data from Statistisches Landesamt Baden-Württemberg
  3. ^ Statistisches Landesamt Baden-Württemberg
  4. ^ a b c d e f Template:De
  5. ^ European Capital of Sport 2007
  6. ^ Lipton Trophy


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