STUTTGART HISTORY

The roots of Stuttgart date back to the 10th century. In those days, Stuttgart was a stud farm for Herzog Luidolf named Stutengarten.  Stuttgart takes its name and city's coat of arms, a black steed, from this stud farm. The earliest dated records of "Stuotgarten" are from the year 1229.  In the 13th century, Stuttgart obtained its "city" status.  The boost to the heretofore unknown settlement came in the 14th century, when the Count of Württemberg took up residency within The Old Palace ("Alteschloss") in Stuttgart.  It wasn't until 1488, however, that Stuttgart became the official capital and residence of Count Eberhard.  The next century, in which Stuttgart was shortly in the hands of Austria, was characterized by political and scientific unrest.  Throughout history, the city of Stuttgart was often tested very hard, especially during the 30-years war.

The annual People's Fair (Volksfest) was first celebrated in 1818, when King Wilhelma organized the fair for the citizens of Stuttgart.  During the first half of the 19th century, the history of Stuttgart changed.  Stuttgart became more of an industrial region rather than a regal region.  Men such as Gottlieb Daimler and Robert Bosch started a new era in the history of technology and changed the history of Stuttgart.  During the Second World War the city was heavily damaged by several air raids. The buildings were quickly restored after the war, and Stuttgart became the Capital of Baden-Würtemberg in 1952.