Esslingen am Neckar is a city in the
Stuttgart RegionStuttgart Region is a metropolitan area in Germany and consists of the city of Stuttgart and the surrounding districts of Ludwigsburg, Esslingen, Böblingen, Rems-Murr and Göppingen . About 2.7 million inhabitants live in that area...
of
Baden-WürttembergBaden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
in southern Germany, capital of the
District of EsslingenEsslingen is a district in the centre of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Rems-Murr, Göppingen, Reutlingen, Böblingen and the district-free city Stuttgart.-History:...
as well as the largest city in the district.
It is located on the
NeckarThe Neckar is a long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse, in Germany. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine...
River, about 14 km southeast of
StuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
city centre. The surrounding regions are also mostly developed around the city of Esslingen.
Prehistoric times
Through archealogical findings there is evidence of permanent settlement in what is now the city of Esslingen since the Neolithic Stone Age. Traces of human settlement found at the site of the city church date back to 1000 B.C.
Roman times
In the 1st century AD the Esslingen region became a part of the Roman Empire. During this period there existed a Roman warehouse in the area of Oberesslingen. The next major Roman settlements and garrisons were Cannstatt and
KöngenKöngen is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.-References:...
.
Middle Ages
Esslingen was first mentioned in 777 as
Ezelinga in the last will of Abbot Fulrad from
Saint-DenisThe Cathedral Basilica of Saint Denis is a large medieval abbey church in the commune of Saint-Denis, now a northern suburb of Paris. The abbey church was created a cathedral in 1966 and is the seat of the Bishop of Saint-Denis, Pascal Michel Ghislain Delannoy...
(near Paris), the chaplain of
PippinPepin , called the Short or the Younger , rarely the Great , was the first King of the Franks of the Carolingian dynasty...
and
CharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
. He bequeathed the church
sixth cell upon the river Neckar to his monastery Saint-Denis. He also brought the bones of
Saint VitalisSaint Vitalis may refer to:The following Italian saints:* Saint Vitalis of Milan, early Christian martyr* Saint Vitalis, martyred in 250 under the persecution of Decius, whose feast date is January 9...
to Esslingen, which made it a target for pilgrimage and led to its growth.
Around 800 Esslingen became a
market townMarket town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
, its market rights being certified in 866. In 949–953 it was a possession of
Liudolf, Duke of SwabiaLiudolf was the duke of Swabia from 950 until 954. He was the only son of Otto I, king of Germany, from his wife Eadgyth, daughter of Edward the Elder, king of England....
. Esslingen received
city rightsGerman town law or German municipal concerns concerns town privileges used by many cities, towns, and villages throughout Central and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.- Town law in Germany :...
in 1229 under
Emperor Frederick IIFrederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
. During the same period the still extant Neckar bridge was constructed, which made Esslingen a major centre for trade on the route between Italy, Switzerland, and Northern Germany. Taxes provided by the bridge and market led to further growth of the town as did the export of the highly regarded wines from the region.
The time between the 13th century and 16th century saw many conflicts between the Free Imperial City and the Counts of
WürttembergWürttemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
(later Duchy of Württemberg). About half the population lost their lives in the Thirty Years War between 1618 and 1648 through famine or epidemics. Esslingen lost its
independenceImperial immediacy was a privileged feudal and political status, which the estates of the realm such as an imperial city, a religious entity, a feudal principality, or a minor lordship could attain within the Holy Roman Empire...
as an Imperial city in 1803,
becoming partThe German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era....
of the Duchy of Württemberg.
19th century to date
The beginning of 19th century was characterised by industrialisation. Glove manufacturing, food processing, textiles, and metal working were early industries in Esslingen. On 20 November 1845 the first train ran from Cannstatt to
Esslingen stationEsslingen station is the most important station in the town of Esslingen am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and is located 13.2 kilometres from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof on the Fils Valley Railway.-History:...
.
Esslingen was occupied by U.S. soldiers in April 1945, toward the end of World War II. During the war the city suffered very little damage thus most of the medivial appearance of its city centre has been preserved.
After the Second World War, about 47,000 people (mostly refugees and displaced persons from the Eastern Germany) moved to Esslingen. There were settlements in Oberesslingen and Zollberg, in order to overcome the shortage of housing.
In 1973
NürtingenNürtingen is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located on the river Neckar.-History:The following events occurred, by year:*1046 : First mention of Niuritingin in the document of Speyer...
district was merged with Esslingen am Neckar making Esslingen the seat of a much enlarged
districtEsslingen is a district in the centre of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Rems-Murr, Göppingen, Reutlingen, Böblingen and the district-free city Stuttgart.-History:...
.
Hochschule Esslingen
Esslingen is home to a University of Applied Science. The
Esslingen University of Applied SciencesThe Esslingen University of Applied Sciences or Hochschule Esslingen is a University of applied sciences in Esslingen am Neckar, Germany....
is known for its
mechanical engineeringMechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
and automotive engineering courses. The graduate school of Hochschule Esslingen offers three Masters courses, taught completely in English.
1. ME in Automotive Systems
2. ME in Design and Development in Automotive and Mechanical Engineering
3. MBA in International Industrial Management
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