Thesaurus

Stuttgart is the capital city of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany. It is located on both sides of the Neckar River in a fertile area of vineyards and orchards. The town developed around a medieval fortified manor and horse farm. It became the property of the House of Württemberg in the 13th century. Like many German towns, it declined during the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century, only rising in wealth and importance again with the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. The city center was nearly destroyed in World War II. Most of its surviving historic architecture has undergone restoration and rebuilding since 1945. This includes a 13th-century castle now housing the state museum, the Gothic St. Leonard's Church dating from 1463-1474, and the Stiftskirche, a church begun in the 12th century in the Romanesque style and completed in 1436-1495 in the Gothic style. Of its modern structures, the 633-foot television tower has become the city symbol. The city is home to many educational and cultural institutions, with galleries, museums, opera, and ballet. Industrially it is a center for electrical engineering and the manufacture of motor vehicles and machinery. It is also a center for the book trade, and also deals extensively in fruits and wine. The 2004 estimated population was 590,500.