Stuttgart Hiking Trail Field Guide

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Stuttgart Hiking Trail

Field Guide

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Table of Contents

1. Stuttgart History

2. Stuttgart Hiking Trail

Hikers are reminded to observe all local German laws and

customs, including crossing the street at crosswalks. Stuttgart Mitte is

under heavy construction at the time of this writing, therefore,

deviations from the intended route may be necessary for safety. Always

ensure that you are dressed appropriately for the weather and have

adequate water for your hike. Above all, have fun!

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Stuttgart

The first inhabitants settled this fertile land near the Neckar River

now called Stuttgart. The subsequent settlers were Romans occupying

and invading German provinces in an effort to expand the Roman

Empire. In doing so, they founded a fort in present-day Bad Cannstatt,

currently a district in Stuttgart. In A.D. 950, Stuttgart turned into a stud

farm for breeding horses for the Duchy of Württemberg. Half a

millennium later, Stuttgart became the capital of the Duchy of

Württemberg in 1482 and later became the capital of the Kingdom of

Württemberg under Napoleonic rule. The 19

th

and 20

th

centuries were a

turbulent time for Stuttgart, with the most significant impacts resulting

from the Allied bombing of critical industrial and military targets in the

area during World War II. After the war, the city rebuilt many of its

buildings using primarily modern-style architecture, but some old

architectural styles were also used, such as Bauhaus, Baroque, and

Rococo. Currently, under Stuttgart 21, the Baden-Württemberg

parliament and mayor are overseeing renovations designed to revitalize

city architecture to compete with other German cities, such as

Hamburg, Lübeck, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Dresden.

Stuttgart is a wonderful city with lots to see and do and offers a

great chance to experience German and Swabian culture amid the

classical architecture of the old town. Stuttgart has preserved its

palaces and castles while tastefully building modern, functional

structures, including the Bibliothek, the Porsche museum, and the

Stuttgart VFB soccer arena. It truly is a wonderful city with a unique

and vibrant culture that is centuries old and easily discoverable.

Exploring Stuttgart and completing the hike will take approximately 2-

3 hours and cover a total distance of about 5 miles.

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Hauptbahnhof

Checkpoint #1

Arnulf-Kletz Platz 2

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’56“ N 9°10’54“ E

Elevation: 250 meters

https://www.bahnhof.de/bahnhof-de/bahnhof/Stuttgart-Hbf-1038338

Paul Bonatz built the Hauptbahnhof, or central train station, for

the Kingdom of Württemberg, in 1914, and the station came into

service in 1922. In 1933, the Deutsche Reichsbahn electrified the

Hauptbahnhof. The Hauptbahnhof was constructed in the architectural

style of the Renaissance Revival and is currently under refurbishment

and renovations under the Stuttgart 21 Project.

In World War II, the Allies targeted the Hauptbahnhof in many

bombing raids on Stuttgart because it was a center for logistics and

communications. The Nazis built a decoy at Lauffen am Neckar to

protect the station from air raids between 1940 to 1942.

Despite the decoy, Allied air raids from British and American

heavy bombers severely damaged the Hauptbahnhof. Following World

War II and during the Cold War, the United States occupied Stuttgart

under the Four Powers’ Agreement. In 1971, plans to build the modern

S-Bahn (Stadt Bahn) started, and construction finished in 1978. As part

of the new Stuttgart 21 construction project, the renovated

Hauptbahnhof will add new tracks and platforms and will be able to

accommodate more trains, including a new high-speed European train

route from Paris through Stuttgart to Vienna. This will improve

passenger transport across southern Germany and Europe.

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Stadtbibliothek

Checkpoint #2

Mailander Platz 1

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°47’25“ N 9°10’59“ E

Elevation: 260 meters

Documentation: Mon - Sat 09:00 - 21:00, closed Sun

http://www1.stuttgart.de/stadtbibliothek/

In 2011, Stuttgart completed the Stadtbibliothek, or City Public

Library, at the cost of 80€ million. Eun Young Yi designed the library,

which welcomes 2 million visitors per year. Home to 60,000 books and

four stories high, the library is designed as a cube of white block brick

with squares and panes of glass. This vantage point provides a full

view of the Neckar Valley, Stuttgart, and its suburbs. The original

library in Stuttgart was built in 1834 and was previously housed in the

Wilhelm Palais.

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Staatsgalerie

Checkpoint #3

Museum Der Bildenden Künste

Konrad Adenauer Straße 30-32

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’51“ N 9°11’9“ E

Elevation: 250 meters

Documentation: Open Tues - Sun 10:00 - 17:00 PM, and Thurs 10:00 - 20:00, closed Mon

https://www.staatsgalerie.de/

The State of Baden-Württemberg first built the Staatsgalerie, or

State Gallery, as the Royal Art School and a cultural enrichment

project. Finished in 1843, it houses famous paintings by Italian, Dutch,

and German artists.

After suffering extensive damage during World War II, it was

rebuilt in 1947 and reopened in 1987. It contains both new and old

works, including artwork by Pablo Picasso, most of which are

renaissance or classical styles. It also includes beautiful depictions of

abstract and modern art.

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Staatstheater

Checkpoint #4

Oberer Schlossgarten 6

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’48“ N 9°11’2“ E

Elevation: 220 meters

Documentation: Tickets can be purchased by calling this phone number: 0711-202090

https://www.staatsoper-stuttgart.de/en/

Max Litmann designed the Staatstheater, or State Theater, which

was built between 1909-1912. The drama section of the building

suffered immense damage during World War II and was later rebuilt

under the direction of Hans Volkart between 1959-1962. Between

1982-1984, Stuttgart modernized the original structure but

subsequently restored it to its previous form of architectural elegance.

The theater is still open today, hosts concerts, operas (including

operas for children), ballets, and other performances. It specializes in

highlighting German culture, such as the fairy tales of the Black

Forest.

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Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg

Checkpoint #5

Konrad Adenauer Straße 16

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’44“ N 9°11’15“ E

Elevation: 260 meters

Documentation: open Tues - Sun 10:00 - 18:00, Thurs 10:00 - 21:00, closed Mon

https://www.hdgbw.de/english/

Stuttgart first built the Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg,

or House of History of Baden-Württemberg, to educate tourists and

others about the Swabians’ history and the state of Baden-

Württemberg from the Napoleonic Wars to modern-day Stuttgart. The

museum is entirely dedicated to the history of the state of Baden-

Württemberg.

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Neues Schloss

Checkpoint #6

Schlossplatz

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’43“ N 9°10’59“ E

Elevation: 260 meters

https://www.neues-schloss-stuttgart.de/start

The Württembergs first built the Neues Schloss, or New Palace,

between 1746-1807 as a residence for the Dukes and Kings of

Württemberg. Famous royals and monarchs from all over Europe

visited the palace, including Russian Tsars Paul I and Alexander I, and

the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

During World War II, the Luftwaffe used the Neues Schloss as an

air control headquarters until it was bombed during an air raid.

Stuttgart later rebuilt the palace following a vote by Baden-

Württemberg’s Parliament. The vote succeeded by one vote. Today the

palace is the home to the state's ministry of finance.

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Schlossplatz

Checkpoint #7

Schlossplatz

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’43“ N 9°10’59“ E

Elevation: 260 meters

https://www.stuttgart.de/tourismus/sehenswuerdigkeiten/schlossplatz.php

The Schlossplatz, or Palace Square. is the inner courtyard of the

Neues Schloss and the center of Stuttgart. On sunny days, residents

and tourists alike can be seen sunbathing and enjoying the square,

including the nearby restaurants and cafes. In the winter, it is home to

part of the Christmas Market.

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Königsbau

Checkpoint #8

König Straße 26

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’45“ N 9°11’46“ E

Elevation: 260 meters

Documentation: open all days 10:00 - 21:00 except Sun

https://www.koenigsbau-passagen.de/

The Swabian King, Wilhelm the 1st, and architects Christen

Friedrich von Leins and Michael Johann Knapp built the Königsbau, or

Royal Building as a business, concert hall, and ballroom between the

years of 1856-1860. Today, with a rebuilt façade based on the original

design, it is used as an eatery and shopping area for central Stuttgart.

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Landesmuseum

Checkpoint #9

Schillerplatz 6

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’37“ N 9°10’44“ E

Elevation: 250 meters

Documentation: open 10:00 - 17:00, Tues – Wed, 10:00 - 21:00 Thurs, 10:00 - 18:00, Fri - Sun , closed Mon

https://www.landesmuseum-stuttgart.de/

King Wilhelm the 1st founded the Landesmuseum, or State

Museum, in 1862 as a museum of culture and history. It inspired

patriotism for local residents and promoted tourism about the culture

of the Kingdom of Württemberg.

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Schillerplatz

Checkpoint #10

Schillerplatz

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’37“ N 9°10’44“ E

Elevation: 250 meters

https://www.stuttgart-tourist.de/en/a-schillerplatz-stuttgart

Duke Frederick ordered Schillerplatz, or Schiller Square, to be

built in 1607. Schiller was also a philosopher, poet, playwright, and

historian. After disagreeing with Duke Carl Eugene, Schiller escaped

Stuttgart under a false name with a trusted friend. The statue in the

Platz is in honor of the hometown patriot and regimental doctor for

Württemberg, Friedrich Schiller. A Danish architect designed the

statue, and cast it from the metal from cannons from the city of

Munich in 1839. The square was officially renamed Schillerplatz in

1934.

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Stiftskirche

Checkpoint #11

Stiftsraße 12

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’37“ N 9°10’44“ E

Elevation: 250 meters

Documentation: open 10:00 – 19:00 Mon – Thurs, 10:00 - 16:00 Fri - Sat, Closed Sun

https://stiftskirche.de/

The Counts of Württemberg built the Stiftskirche, or Collegiate

Church, in 1240. It houses the remains of Count Ulrich’s first and

second wives, who both died in 1265. The Stiftskirche is an

Evangelical or Protestant church in Catholic-dominated southern

Germany. In 1534, this church was reformed according to the

Protestant and Lutheran doctrines, as the Reformation gained

popularity. In 1944, the Allies accidentally bombed the church, but it

was rebuilt in the 1950s, maintaining the original exterior façade with

a modern interior.

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Stauffenberg-Erinnerungsstätte

Checkpoint #12

Near the Landesmuseum

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’37“ N 9°10’49“ E

Elevation: 273 meters

https://www.hdgbw.de/ausstellungen/stauffenberg/

The Stauffenberg-Erinnerungsstätte, or Stauffenberg Memorial, is

dedicated to Count Claus von Stauffenberg of Germany. He opposed

the Nazi regime and attempted to kill Hitler in the Wolf’s Lair, a

fortified Nazi headquarters with camouflaged bunkers. It still exists in

modern-day Gierloz, Poland. Stauffenberg’s team planted a bomb in a

briefcase and left just before it blew up.

The bomb killed and maimed several high-ranking Nazis but ultimately

failed in its goal to kill Hitler. Stauffenberg’s team was later captured

and executed.

Famous movies including,

Valkyrie

,

Operation Valkyrie

,

The Plot

to Assassinate Hitler

, and

The Plot to Kill Hitler

, have been made

about Stauffenberg and his efforts. They depict Stauffenberg’s

attempts, failures, and efforts to seize control from Hitler and the

Nazis.

The inscription between the blocks in the memorial reads

“Vervemt, verstossen, gemartert, erschlagen, erhaengt, vergast.

Millionen Opfer der nationalsozialistischen Gewaltherrschaft

beschwoeren dich Niemals Wieder!” or “Condemned, violated,

martyred, slayed, hung, gassed. Millions of victims of the National

Socialist tyranny swear never again!”

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Kaiser Wilhelm I Denkmal

Checkpoint #13

Karlsplatz

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’35“ N 9°10’50“ E

Elevation: 267 meters

https://www.stuttgart.de/vv/adresse/kaiser-wilhelm-i.von-friedrich-von-thiersch-1897-98-.php

The Kaiser Wilhelm I Denkmal, or Emperor Wilhelm I Memorial, is

dedicated to the first Kaiser of Germany, who, along with Otto Von

Bismarck, executed a series of wars that ultimately unified Germany

under Prussian rule. Prussia invaded Denmark in 1864, annexing

Danish territory and establishing the future German state of

Schleswig-Holstein. In 1866, Prussia invaded Austria-Hungary, which

at the time was the predominant German-speaking empire. In the third

and final war, France declared war against Prussia on July 16, 1870,

and invaded German territory on August 2, 1870. Each independent

German state declared war against France, the Prussians defeated

France and unified Germany in 1871.

As a result of the victory over France, Germany stripped France

of Alsace and Lorraine; two border provinces transferred back and

forth between France and Germany over hundreds of years. The

transfer of these two provinces in 1871 furthered the long-standing

grudges between both nations and would influence the conditions that

led to World War I.

Kaiser Wilhelm was an essential leader to Germany. However, he

was not as powerful as Bismarck, the preeminent European statesman

of his time.

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Markthalle

Checkpoint #14

Dorotheenstraße 4

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’35“ N 9°10’49“ E

Elevation: 286 meters

Documentation: Open 07:00 - 17:00 Sat, 07:30 - 18:30 Thurs - Wed, Closed Sun

https://www.markthalle-stuttgart.de/en/

Stuttgart built the Markthalle, or Market Hall, in 1914 and had it

decorated with large paintings of artisans, merchants, and other

tradespeople selling goods and wares. The images can still be seen

outside the building, a tradition in Stuttgart that hasn’t been lost to the

ages. Today, in the Markthalle, they still sell goods and other items for

people to buy, such as fresh fruit and honey, to meats and fish.

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Marktplatz

Checkpoint #15

Marktplatz

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’38“ N 9°10’49“ E

Elevation: 246 meters

http://www.elivewebcams.com/stuttgart-marktplatz-webcam-live/

The Marktplatz, or Market Courtyard, is the Stuttgart city center

and is bordered by the Rathaus. It sits on top of a large bunker

complex from World War II, a bomb shelter protecting the city’s

residents against American and British air raids. This bunker complex

was used as housing after the war and can be visited only once a year

in December. In addition to the bunker complex, there are other

reminders of Stuttgart’s Nazi and wartime past, such as the stumbling

stones or Stolpersteine. These brass-covered cobblestones remind

Jewish residents who were deported from Stuttgart to concentration

camps and death camps in World War II.

Despite these grim reminders, the Marktplatz maintains its

principal function in the city and is surrounded by many fine stores and

shops. It is another location for the city’s Christmas Market in the

winter. One of the stores in the Marktplatz is the fine porcelain store

Meissen, a Saxon porcelain company that produced the first stiff paste

porcelain in Europe. Meissen discovered this type of porcelain, which

rivaled the latest technology in China at the time. Meissen has been

used to decorate many palaces throughout Europe, such as the Saxon

Zwinger palace in Dresden.

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Rathaus

Checkpoint #16

Marktplatz 1

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’20“ N 9°10’42“ E

Elevation: 253 meters

Documentation: Open 08:00 - 18:00 Mon-Fri, Closed weekends

https://www.stuttgart.de/rathaus/

The Rathaus, or Stuttgart City Hall, borders the Marktplatz, the

main square of Stuttgart. The original Rathaus of Stuttgart was

bombed During World War II and damaged beyond repair. It was rebuilt

as a modern facility in the 1950s. The Rathaus displays an Advent

Calendar in its windows during the Christmas season, each office

window showing a different day.

In addition, the Rathaus houses a unique type of elevator, the

Paternoster. The Paternoster is a perpetually moving elevator. It does

not have doors that open and shut like modern elevators. Instead, you

step on and off when it reaches your floor. It was built in 1956 by the

Zuffenhausen machine factory. A few years ago, the German Federal

government tried to shut down the Paternoster. Still, the ban was

overturned after only a few weeks, leading to the Paternoster’s return

as the elevator for the Rathaus.

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Stuttgardia

Checkpoint #17

Stiftstraße 12

70173 Stuttgart

GPS Coordinates: 48°46’31“ N 9°10’40“ E

Elevation: 300 meters

https://www.stuttgart.de/vv/adresse/heinz-fritz-standbild-stuttgardia-1905.php

In the 19th Century, Stuttgart made plans to build a new

Rathaus, or Town Hall. Stuttgart commissioned a statue of the city’s

Patron goddess for this beautiful new building, called Stuttgardia. All

German cities have patron gods and goddesses to portray the towns

and their traits, such as a port city would have a statue related to

water. So Stuttgardia proudly hung off the walls of the Rathaus until

severe heavy bombing wrecked the building. Stuttgardia fell off the

building but was left undamaged. The Swabians dutifully restored their

patron goddess to the newly constructed Rathaus in 1956, where it

still stands today.

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Maps

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Maps (Cont.)

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Pictures

1. Main Train Station 2. City Public Library

Left the Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof as seen today, and the Wurttemberg Bahn plaque from 1920.

3. State Galerie 4. State Theater

5. House of History 6. New Palace

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Pictures (Cont.)

7. Palace Square 8. Royal Building

9. State Museum 10. Schiller Square

11. Collegiate Church 12. Stauffenberg Memorial

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Pictures (Cont.)

13. Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial 14. Market Hall

15. Market Courtyard 16. Town Hall

17. Stuttgardia

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Ryan M. Healy created the Stuttgart Hiking Trail for

his Eagle Scout project as a member of Troop 324,

Edelweiss District, Transatlantic Council.

November 28, 2021