Neu-Ulm - History

History

The modern history of Neu-Ulm began with the change of the sovereignty over the city of Ulm in 1810 from the Kingdom of Bavaria to the Kingdom of Württemberg. The Danube became the boundary between Bavaria and Württemberg. Land on the right-hand side of the Danube thus fell under Bavarian sovereignty. This was the beginning of Neu-Ulm's status as an independent town.

At this time Neu-Ulm was very small with little more than a few houses, taverns, pieces of land, and the village of Offenhausen. It was still known as "Ulm am rechten Donauufer (Ulm on the right-hand side of the Danube). The name "Neu-Ulm" was first mentioned in records in 1814.

The town's real growth began a few decades later in 1841, when the Frankfurter Bundesversammlung announced the building of the Federal Fort of Ulm, the Bundesfestung. Upon the wishes of King Ludwig I, Neu-Ulm was included within the fort and the building work in Neu-Ulm was overseen by Major Theodor von Hildebrandt. After Neu-Ulm was connected to the railway line to Augsburg in 1853, soldiers arrived and a garrison was created there.

The city began to blossom under Mayor Josef Kollmann at the end of the 19th century. A tram line connecting Ulm and Neu-Ulm was built in 1897 and in 1900 the water tower (still a landmark today) was built, guaranteeing Neu-Ulm's water supply. In 1906, Neu-Ulm expanded beyond the city walls for the first time. The first factories were built, and it continued to expand.

After World War I, the garrison was closed. The population and wealth of the town grew, and it became a rich town. However, World War II left its mark; nearly eighty percent of the town was destroyed by Allied bombing, and all bridges across the Danube to Ulm were destroyed.

Rebuilding began, and from the end of World War II up to the 1990s, the US Army were stationed in Neu-Ulm. From 1964 to 1991, thirty-six Pershing missiles were located in Neu-Ulm under the 56th Field Artillery Command.

The departure of the US Army had a large impact on the town's economy, and also left a large number of vacant army buildings.