Esslingen am Neckar

Esslingen am Neckar(Swabian:Esslenga am Neckor;until 16 October 1964 officiallyEßlingen am Neckar) is a town in theStuttgart RegionofBaden-Württembergin southern Germany, seat of theDistrict of Esslingenas well as the largest town in the district. Within Baden-Württemberg it is the11th largest city.

Esslingen am Neckar
Town
Coat of arms
Location of Esslingen am Neckar within Esslingen district
Esslingen am Neckar Esslingen am Neckar
Coordinates:48°44′N9°19′E
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Stuttgart
District	Esslingen
Government
•Lord mayor(2021–29)	Matthias Klopfer(SPD)
Area
• Total	46.43 km2(17.93 sq mi)
Elevation	241 m (791 ft)
Population (2022-12-31)
• Total	94,941
• Density	2,000/km2(5,300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00(CEST)
Postal codes	73701–73734
Dialling codes	0711
Vehicle registration	ES
Website	esslingen.de

It is located on the riverNeckar,about 14 kilometres (9 miles) southeast ofStuttgartcity center. The regions surrounding the city of Esslingen are also mostly developed.

Esslingen was afree imperial cityfor several centuries until it was annexed by Württemberg in 1802.

TheGerman Timber-Frame Roadpasses through the city.

History

Prehistoric times

There is archaeological evidence that what is now the city of Esslingen was settled since theNeolithicperiod. Traces of human settlement found at the site of the city church date back to around 1000 B.C.

Roman times

In the 1st century AD the Esslingen region became part of the Roman Empire. During this period a Roman warehouse was located in the area of Oberesslingen. The nearest major Roman settlements and garrisons were atCannstattandKöngen.

Migration and Merovingian period

There are so far no findings from the early Alemanni period, which do exist on the Filder (uplands) nearby. There are findings in Rüdern which suggest a rich grave with eastern influence, including, for example, a set of three-winged spear heads. The ending "-ingen" indicates a group of people wherein a man named Azzilo, Hezzilo or Hetsilo was landlord and family patriarch played an influential role. This means the city's name originally meant: "the peoples of Azzilo". This name, for the first time documented in 856 asEzlingaand 866 asHetsilingaended up becoming today's Esslingen.

In the 6th century, the Alemanni were subjugated by theMerovingiansunder king Clovis I. But they still took over administrative tasks and formed a Duchy in Francia. In the 8th century they tried to become sovereign again. But the attempt failed near Cannstatt. The end of the Alemannian duchy was marked with theCouncil of Cannstatt.

In an excavation by Günter Fehring, the remains of the Vitalis-Cella under the church St. Dionysius were uncovered. Proof of settlement dates back to the late Merovingian period. Even older are the single row graves in Oberesslingen and Sirnau.

Middle Ages

Esslingen was first mentioned in 777 in the last will ofAbbot FulradfromSaint-Denis(near Paris), the chaplain ofPippinandCharlemagne.He bequeathed thesixth cell upon the river Neckarthat he had received from an Alemannic nobleman by the name of "Hafti" to his monastery, Saint-Denis. He also brought the bones ofSaint Vitalisto Esslingen, which made it a destination for pilgrims and led to its growth.

Territory of the Free Imperial City of Esslingen

Around 800 Esslingen became amarket town,its market rights being certified in 866. In 949–953 it was a possession ofLiudolf, Duke of Swabia.Esslingen receivedcity rightsin 1229 underEmperor Frederick II.During the same period the still-extant Neckar bridge was built, making Esslingen a major center 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.

View of Esslingen ca. 1640, showing the bridge over the Neckar River.

The period between the 13th century and 16th century saw many conflicts between the Free Imperial City and the Counts ofWürttemberg(later Duchy of Württemberg). About half the population died in theThirty Years' Warbetween 1618 and 1648 through famine or epidemics. Esslingen lost itsindependenceas an Imperial city during the Napoleonic era in 1802–1803,becoming partof theDuchy of Württemberg.

"The Fat Tower" at Esslingen a.N., part of the remaining defensive bastion of the city.

The city had a defensive wall, part of which remains, including a landmark "fat tower" (Der Dicke Turm) set on the hill and vineyards above the city.

19th century to Present

The beginning of the 19th century was characterized by industrialization. Glove manufacturing, food processing, textiles, and metal working were early industries in Esslingen. On 20 November 1845 the first train ran fromCannstatttoEsslingen station.

Esslingen was occupied byU.S. troopsstarting in April 1945, at the very end ofWorld War II.During the war the city suffered very little damage, and it was peaceably surrendered to the approaching allied forces, thus the medieval character of its city center has been mostly preserved.

After the Second World War about 47,000 people moved to Esslingen, mostly refugees and displaced persons from East Germany. Housing developments in Oberesslingen and Zollberg were created to overcome the shortage of housing.

In 1973Nürtingendistrict was merged with Esslingen am Neckar, making Esslingen the seat of a much enlargeddistrict.

Largest groups of immigrants by 31.12.2020:

Turkey	4,182
Greece	3,030
Italy	2,051
Croatia	1,711
Romania	1,248
Syria	1,102
Kosovo	784
Poland	713
Bosnia and Herzegovina	708
Serbia	472

Climate

Climate data for Esslingen am Neckar (1991–2020)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	3.0 (37.4)	5.1 (41.2)	9.5 (49.1)	13.9 (57.0)	18.4 (65.1)	21.4 (70.5)	23.7 (74.7)	23.2 (73.8)	20.0 (68.0)	14.5 (58.1)	8.0 (46.4)	4.0 (39.2)	13.7 (56.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−2.8 (27.0)	−1.9 (28.6)	0.8 (33.4)	4.0 (39.2)	8.0 (46.4)	11.2 (52.2)	12.9 (55.2)	12.5 (54.5)	9.4 (48.9)	5.4 (41.7)	1.2 (34.2)	−1.6 (29.1)	4.9 (40.9)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches)	46.9 (1.85)	41.4 (1.63)	50.4 (1.98)	45.7 (1.80)	88.0 (3.46)	86.0 (3.39)	95.6 (3.76)	80.7 (3.18)	57.0 (2.24)	60.8 (2.39)	59.5 (2.34)	56.3 (2.22)	768.3 (30.24)
Average rainy days	13.2	11.3	14.3	14.3	19.6	18.6	17.8	16.8	11.5	12	11.5	13.4	174.3
Averagerelative humidity(%)	90	83	74	69	70	71	69	70	75	81	85	90	77
Mean monthlysunshine hours	62	90.4	136.4	174	213.9	228	254.2	232.5	183	130.2	75	58.9	1,838.5
Mean dailysunshine hours	2	3.2	4.4	5.8	6.9	7.6	8.2	7.5	6.1	4.2	2.5	1.9	5.0
Mean dailydaylight hours	8.8	10.2	11.9	13.7	15.3	16.1	15.7	14.3	12.6	10.8	9.2	8.4	12.3
Source:Deutscher Wetterdienst(Precipitation),Weather2visit,Weather Atlas (Rainy days and Daylight)

Transport

Air transport

Stuttgart Airport,the largest airport inBaden-Württemberg,is located in the Esslingen District, roughly ten kilometers south of the town, on the border with the town ofLeinfelden-Echterdingen.A plane owned byLufthansahas been named after the town.

The junction on theBundesautobahn 8Karlsruhe-Munichwhich serves Esslingen is just after the airport when traveling towards Munich.

Road Transport

Esslingen is directly on the B10 State Highway which runs as a dual carriageway fromStuttgarttoSüßen,and continues onward toUlm.The exit for Esslingen, just after the B10 passes under the ancient Pliensau Bridge, is particularly unusual, because in the direction of Ulm there are two entry and exit points to the dual carriageway. This makes it is possible to reach the center of Esslingen directly from Stuttgart, and to drive from central Esslingen directly onto the Dual Carriageway in the direction of Ulm without having to pass traffic lights.

Despite the six to eight lanes on the new Pliensau Bridge and the surrounding roads, the infrastructure around Pliensauvorstadt and the route to Zollberg still suffers from frequent congestion.

Esslingen is also on theGerman Timber-Frame Road.

Long Distance Rail Transport

Esslingen (Neckar) stationis on theFils Valley Railwayand is served by line S 1 of theStuttgart S-Bahnand regional services. The town is on the main rail line between Stuttgart and Ulm, operated byDeutsche Bahn,the main German rail operator. In 2009, the company named a high speed 'Intercity-Express' train "Esslingen-am-Neckar".

S-Bahn

TheStuttgart S-Bahnline S1 which operates betweenKirchheim-unter-TeckandHerrenbergviaStuttgartcentre, serves the stations of Mettingen, Esslingen (Neckar),Oberesslingenand Esslingen (Zell). Under the planned rebuilding of the railways in central Stuttgart under theStuttgart 21scheme, the S1 will be shortened to operate from Kirchheim unter Teck as far as Stuttgart Schwabstraße station.

Direct bus connection to Stuttgart Airport

To avoid the long S-Bahn route to the airport via Stuttgart, the Bus 122, operated by the END Company, now runs directly from the central bus and rail interchange to the airport viaOstfildernScharnhausen.

Urban Tramway

The Esslingen Urban Tram system was opened in May 1912 and closed on 7 July 1944 after 32 years of operation. It was replaced by trolley buses. The operating company, the Esslinger Städtische Straßenbahn (ESS, translated Esslingen Town Tramway) changed its name in 1944 to the Städtischer Verkehrsbetrieb Esslingen (SVE, or "Esslingen Transport Company" ).

Former Interurban Tram

On 18 December 1926 the Esslingen-Nellingen-Denkendorf (END) interurban tram began operating. This was the last tram system to be built in Germany before the wave of closures later in the century: after this date permission from the authorities was only given for extensions to existing systems. The tram had to negotiate a five kilometer gradient out of the Neckar Valley to reach the towns and villages of the Eastern Filder region. In total, the system transported 153 million passengers from Denkendorf and later from Neuhausen to Esslingen, and took delivery of two new open trams in 1958. The line was discontinued in February 1978.

Trolley bus and diesel bus

Esslingen, along with Solingen and Eberswalde, is one of the last three German towns which still usetrolleybuses.The SVE currently operates two lines using electric power:

101:OberesslingenLerchenacker Endstation – Esslingen railway station –Stuttgart-Obertürkheim station.

118: Esslingen Railway Station – Zollberg.

Apart from this around 50 taxis operate in the town.

Car-Sharing

In 1994 Acar-sharingcompany opened a station in Esslingen.

Rebuilding of bus/railinterchange

An ambitious redevelopment project has been in progress since 2004 in the area near the railway station. The current phase of this project is a large redevelopment of the station forecourt costing about 7.4 million euros. TheBaden-WürttembergState Environment and Transport ministry helped fund this with a grant of 4.9 million euros. During 2009 the Neckarstraße was diverted along unused land on the railway station and lengthened to the west of the site. The next phase, completed in November 2014, was a large-scale redevelopment of the station forecourt to create a bus and rail interchange.

Hochschule Esslingen

The city is home to theEsslingen University of Applied Sciences(German:Hochschule Esslingen). It is known for itsmechanical engineeringand automotive engineering courses, and also for its three international master's programs (MBA in International Industrial Management,MEng in Automotive Systems,MEng in Design and Development in Automotive and Mechanical Engineering),which are organised by the Esslingen Graduate Schooland taught completely in English.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also:List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Esslingen am Neckar istwinnedwith:

• Coimbatore,India
• Eger,Hungary
• Maladzyechna,Belarus
• Neath Port Talbot,Wales, United Kingdom
• Norrköping,Sweden
• Piotrków Trybunalski,Poland
• Schiedam,Netherlands
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin,United States
• Udine,Italy
• Velenje,Slovenia
• Vienne,France

Notable people

Karl Ludwig Deffner

Ferdinand von Hochstetter

Julius Motteler

• Richard Baum(1902–2000), musicologist and music historian
• Thommie Bayer(born 1953), writer, musician and painter
• Otto Borst (1924–2001), German historian
• Karl Deffner(1817–1877), manufacturer, member of parliament
• Cristian Fiél(born 1980), Spanish-German football player
• Isabelle Faust(born 1972), Violinist
• Albert Günther(1830–1914), British zoologist, born in Esslingen
• Volker Hauff(born 1940), German politician, former Member of Bundestag, former Lord Mayor of Frankfurt am Main (SPD)
• Wolfgang Fritz Haug(born 1936), philosopher
• Otto Hauser (born 1952), German politician (CDU), former Member of Bundestag and retired parliamentarian secretary of state
• Walter Hirrlinger (born 1926), German politician (SPD), Member of Landtag, minister of economy, 1990–2008 president ofSozialverband VdK Deutschland,1953 to 1968 member of local council in Esslingen
• Wilhelm Christian Hochstetter(1825–1881), botanist, university gardener and inspector of the botanical garden in Tübingen
• Ferdinand von Hochstetter(1829–1884), geographer, geologist and natural scientist
• Johann Eberhard Ihle(1727–1814), painter
• Emil von Kessler(1813–1867), founder of the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen (locomotive factory)
• Emil von Keßler jun. (1841–1895), German entrepreneur and politician, director of Maschinenfabrik Esslingen, son of Emil von Keßler
• Georg Christian von Kessler (1787–1842), founder of the still existing sparkling wine cellar Kessler Sekt
• Hermann Kurz (1813–1873), poet, author and translator, father ofIsolde Kurz
• Alfred Leikam (1915–1992), notary, politician and mayor,Righteous among the Nations
• Karl Mayer(1819–1889), politician, member of parliament and parliamentary deputy
• Otto Merz(1889–1933), race car driver
• Julius Motteler(1838–1907), leading member of the early German workers' movement, Reichstag deputy
• Wilhelm Murr(1888–1945), German politician (NSDAP), Gauleiter
• Georg Restle(born 1965), journalist
• Paula Rueß(1902–1980), German resistance fighter (French Resistance) and feminist
• Thomas Ruf (1911–1996), German politician (CDU), Member of Bundestag district Esslingen
• Max Sailer(1882–1964), car racing driver and engineer
• Heinrich Schickhardt (1558–1635), builder
• Louis Schlegel (1858–1929), German politician (SPD), Member of Reichstag and Landtag
• Ronja Schmitt (born 1989), German politician (CDU), Member of Bundestag
• Jakob Ferdinand Schreiber (1809–1868), founder of J.F.Schreiber, a publisher known for its children books

External links

• Official website(in German)
• City Portal(in German)
• Esslingen University of Applied Sciences(in German and English)