Stuttgart

High-caliber Stuttgart is as productive as it is cultural

Unlike many prosperous industrial centers, Stuttgart isn’t a city of concrete -- two-thirds of the land inside the city limits is devoted to parks, gardens, and woodlands. Yet Stuttgart is one of Germany's largest manufacturing cities, the home of Mercedes and Porsche. It's also the site of international trade fairs and congresses to which many international movers and shakers travel to on a frequent basis. As a cultural center, Stuttgart is without peer in southwestern Germany. The Stuttgart Ballet is known throughout the world, and its State Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra are also highly regarded. In addition, Stuttgart boasts an abundance of theater groups, cultural festivals, and museums, and is also Germany’s largest wine-growing city. During World War II, bombing attacks leveled 60% of Stuttgart's buildings; not one of its landmarks or historic structures survived intact. After the war, Stuttgart became the capital of the newly formed state of Baden-Württemberg (many still call it Swabia, its former name).

© 2009, Wiley Publishing, Inc.