Esslingen am Neckar is a city in the
Stuttgart RegionStuttgart Region 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 the Federal Republic of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine—but one which has some of its major cities straddling the banks of the Neckar River...
in southern
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
, 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, a major right tributary of the River Rhine, which it joins at Mannheim...
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 premanent 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 1
st 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....
.
Middle Ages
Esslingen was first mentioned in 777 as
Ezelinga in the last will of Abbot Fulrad from
Saint-DenisThe Cathedral Basilica of St Denis is a large 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
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
), the chaplain of
PippinPepin or Pippin , called the Short, and often known as Pepin the Younger or Pepin III, was the Mayor of the Palace and Duke of the Franks from 741 and King of the Franks from 751 to 768...
and
CharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 to his death. He expanded the Frankish kingdoms into a Frankish Empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe...
. He bequeathed the church
sixth cell upon the river Neckar to his monastery Saint-Denis. He also brought the bones of
Saint VitalisSaint Vitalis can refer to:The following Italian saints:* Saint Vitalis of Milan* Saint Vitalis, martyred in 250 under the persecution of Decius, whose feast date is January 9* Saint Vitalis, martyr at Bologna with Saint Agricola under Emperor Diocletian...
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 of Hohenstaufen was Holy Roman Emperor from his papal coronation in 1220 until his death; he was also a pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212 and unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215. As such, he was King of Germany, of Italy, and of Burgundy...
. 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 13
th century and 16
th century saw many conflicts between the Free Imperial City and the Counts of
WürttembergWürttemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg, 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 an imperial city, religious entity or feudal principality of minor lordship could attain within the Holy Roman Empire. A reichsfrei city, abbey or territory was under the direct authority of the Holy Roman Emperor and the...
as an Imperial city in 1803,
becoming partThe German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany in 1795–1814, 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 proceesing, textiles, and metal working were early industries in Esslingen. On 20 November 1845 the first train ran from Cannstatt to Esslingen.
Esslingen was occupied by
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldiers in April 1945, toward the end of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 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:...
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 an engineering discipline that was developed from the application of principles from physics and materials science. Mechanical engineering involves the analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of various systems...
and automotive programmes. The university also offers some Masters programmes in English.
Twin cities
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