Stuttgart is situated in southern Germany. It is the capital of the province of Baden-Württemberg, and contains a population of approximately 590,000 in the city and around 3 million in the metropolitan area, as of September 2005. The town was originally founded around 950 AD by the Duke Liudolf of Swabia, one of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I the Great's sons, and used mainly for horse breeding (above all for his father's cavalry). Later on (around 1300), Stuttgart became the residence of the counts of Württemberg, promoted to dukes in 1496 by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. After Napoleon's dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the dukes of Württemberg gained the title of kings and Stuttgart became a royal residence.
In 1871, as an autonomous kingdom, Württemberg joined the German Empire, which had been created by the Prussian prime minister Otto von Bismarck. After World War I, the monarchy collapsed and the Free State of Württemberg became part of the Weimar Republic. In 1920, Stuttgart was the seat of the German Government (since the administration had to flee Berlin during the so-called Kapp Putsch). During World War II, Stuttgart's city center was almost completely destroyed by allied air attacks.
On September 6, 1946, an early concept of the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe was presented at the Stuttgart Opera House in a speech given by US Secretary of State James Byrnes. This speech directly led to the unification of British and American occupation zones, paving the way for the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The name of of the state originates from a steep Stuttgart hill. On the top of that hill, you can find the mausoleum of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg and Queen Katharina (daughter of the Russian Czar Paul I), dating back to 1824. The city itself, set in a lush valley lined with vineyards and forests, is one of the most prominent German towns, especially due to its huge administrative, cultural and economic importance.
Stuttgart is the place where the four-wheeled automobile and the motorbike were invented. Therefore, it's the starting point for the world automotive industry. Famous and prestigious brands such as Porsche, Maybach and Mercedes-Benz are produced here. At present, approximately 150,000 companies are situated in the Stuttgart region. The region is known for its high-tech industry. Some of its most famous companies include Porsche, DaimlerChrysler, Bosch, Neoplan, Celesio, IBM and Hewlett-Packard, all of which have their world or German headquarters located there.
Stuttgart is also renowned for its cultural life, in particular the Staatstheater and Staatsgalerie. The Staatstheater comprises an opera house and three smaller theaters. The world-famous Stuttgart Opera won the prestigious 'Opera of the Year' award for five years in a row (1998-2002). The famous Stuttgart Ballet is associated with names like John Cranko and Marcia Haydée. The city also offers two Broadway-style musical theaters, the Palladium Theater and the Apollo.
Although the town's center was completely destroyed during World War II, many historic buildings were reconstructed afterwards, and apart from that the city presents numerous fine pieces of modern post-war architecture. One noteworthy building is the Collegiate Church. It was built in the 16th Century, and is the main Protestant church of Stuttgart. Although there are no remains of it, there was an earlier church on this.