The Romans appreciated the idyllic and central location of the valley basin of the settlement Cannstatt, when they built a citadel there around 85/90 AD. By founding the stud farm "Stuotgarten" in 950 AD, Duke Luidolf of Swabia laid the foundation stone for the city to be created 33 years later and gave it today's name, Stuttgart. After that continuous progress is made.

In the 14th Century Stuttgart is elevated to the seat of power in Wuerttemberg; the industrialisation in the mid-19th Century is the beginning of Stuttgart's rise to one of the largest conurbations in Germany. Today the capital of Baden-Wuerttemberg is one of the largest major industrial cities in Europe housing the headquarters of the global concern DaimlerChrysler at its centre.

By hosting the 1986 European Track and Field Championships Stuttgart established its reputation as an international sports city. The excellent organisation, courtesy and enthusiasm of the spectators prompted the International Olympic Committee, IOC, to award the Olympic Cup to the capital of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Further examples of sporting highlights in the Swabian Metropolis are matches of the 1974 FIFA World Cup and of EURO '88, and the 1993 IAAF Track and Field World Championships.

The football Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart is the sporting symbol of Stuttgart, playing home matches at Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion for many years. Since 1945 19 international matches have been held here.

• 1950 first post-war international football match between Germany and Switzerland in front of 103,000 spectators (record crowd)
• 1974 World Cup
• EURO '88
• 1988 European Champions Cup Final
• 1990 first international match after the German unification between Germany and Switzerland
• International matches
• home of Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart with its 1989 UEFA Cup Final against SSC Naples