Stuttgart

Stuttgart, city in south-west Germany, capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg, on the River Neckar. The city is a commercial, manufacturing, and transport centre surrounded by vineyards. It is a major railway junction and river port, and is served by an international airport. Principal manufactured goods in the area include motor vehicles, printed fabrics, electrical and photographic equipment, precision instruments, machinery, textiles, beverages, chemicals, and metal and wood products. Tourism and business conferences are important to the economy.

In the Stuttgart metropolitan area are Hohenheim University (1818); Stuttgart University (1829); academies of fine arts, music, and the performing arts; the Württemberg State Library; and state and municipal archives. Among museums in and near the city are the Württemberg State Museum, containing the Württemberg crown jewels; the Stuttgart State Gallery, with a collection of paintings from the Middle Ages to the present; the Daimler-Benz Motor Museum; a municipal gallery featuring the works of 19th- and 20th-century local artists; a Bible museum; the Schiller National Museum, with memorabilia of Friedrich von Schiller who was born in nearby Marbach; and museums of ethnology and natural history. Other places of interest include the Stiftskirche, or Collegiate Church (begun 12th century, completed 16th century); the Old Castle (13th century, rebuilt late 16th century); the New Palace (1746-1807); Solitude Castle (1760s), which includes elements of Neo-Classical and Rococo styles; the Württemberg State Theatre, home of the celebrated Stuttgart Ballet; and a tall television broadcasting tower with observation platforms.

Settled in the 10th century, the community was named after a stud farm (Stutengarten) that originally stood on the site. The town became a residence of the counts of Württemberg in 1320. In the late 15th century it was made the capital of the duchy (from 1806, kingdom) of Württemberg. The city expanded rapidly during the 19th and 20th centuries as industries, particularly car manufacturing, were developed. In 1883 Gottlieb Daimler assembled the first high-speed petrol engine in nearby Bad Cannstatt. The old section of the city, almost completely destroyed by bombing during World War II, has since been either restored or redeveloped. Population 590,700 (2005 estimate).