Böblingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the main town of the Böblingen District. The nearby town of Sindelfingen is right next to Böblingen.

History of Böblingen

Böblingen was started by Count Wilhelm von Tübingen-Böblingen in 1253. The region of Württemberg took over the town in 1357.

Early Battles and Changes

On May 12, 1525, a major battle happened in Böblingen during the German Peasants' War. A large group of peasants fought against an army led by Jörg Truchsess von Waldburg. After the Thirty Years' War ended in 1648, only about 600 people lived in Böblingen.

When the Kingdom of Württemberg was formed, Böblingen became an important administrative center in 1818. The town got connected to the railroad in 1879. This helped new industries grow there. In 1938, Böblingen became a district (Landkreis).

Böblingen before the Second World War

World Wars and Rebuilding

During World War I, an airbase was built in Böblingen in 1915. This airbase was very important for the town's growth. In 1925, it became the state airport of Baden-Württemberg, known as Böblingen Airport. A famous aircraft designer, Hanns Klemm, started his light aircraft company next to the airport. This company was a big employer in Böblingen until World War II.

During World War II, Böblingen had a military airbase for the German air force (called the Luftwaffe) and army buildings. On September 1, 1939, when the war began, fighter planes were based there.

On October 7, 1943, during World War II, Allied forces dropped many bombs on Böblingen. A lot of the old town was destroyed, and many people lost their homes. Another attack happened in July 1944.

Town center after bombing in October 1943

After the war in 1945, Böblingen was part of the American zone. It later became part of the state of Baden-Württemberg in 1952.

Modern Growth

After 1948, Böblingen began to rebuild quickly. The number of people living there grew a lot. Between 1950 and 1970, the population tripled! Big companies like IBM (in 1949) and Hewlett-Packard (in 1959) moved to Böblingen. This brought strong economic growth.

In 1962, Böblingen became a "major district town" (Große Kreisstadt). In 1971, it joined with the nearby village of Dagersheim.

Population History

The number of people living in Böblingen has changed a lot over the years:

Year	Number of inhabitants
1598	about 800
1654	628
1803	2,125
1823	2,549
1843	3,504
1861	3,287
1871	3,826
1880	4,365
1890	4,659
1900	5,303
1910	6,019
1925	7,227
1933	7,998

Year	Number of inhabitants
1939	12,560
1946	10,809
1950	12,601
1961	25,366
1970	35,925
1975	40,547
1980	41,505
1987	42,589
1990	44,903
1995	46,516
2000	45,637
2004	46,064
2013	46,714
2023	51,658

Climate in Böblingen

Böblingen has a mild, temperate climate. It has warm summers and cool winters.

Climate data for Böblingen (1991-2020 nromals)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Daily mean °C (°F)	0.7 (33.3)	1.5 (34.7)	4.9 (40.8)	9.0 (48.2)	13.1 (55.6)	16.5 (61.7)	18.4 (65.1)	17.9 (64.2)	13.6 (56.5)	9.3 (48.7)	4.5 (40.1)	1.6 (34.9)	9.2 (48.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	51.3 (2.02)	41.7 (1.64)	47.8 (1.88)	42.9 (1.69)	79.5 (3.13)	77.7 (3.06)	86.2 (3.39)	79.5 (3.13)	55.6 (2.19)	61.3 (2.41)	54.6 (2.15)	57.6 (2.27)	735.7 (28.96)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	52	70.8	120.9	170.8	197.3	194.5	202.3	193.2	144.6	105.4	56.8	41.8	1,550.4
Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst(Station: Boeblingen)(Temperature)(Precipitation)(Sun)

Getting Around Böblingen

Böblingen is easy to reach by different ways of transport.

By Air

Stuttgart Airport is about 20 minutes away from Böblingen by train.

By Car

Major highways like the A 8 and A 81 are close to Böblingen. The A 81 passes north of the city. There are several exits for Böblingen. Other main roads like the B 464 and B 14 also run near the city.

By Train

The main train station, Böblingen station, is on the line from Stuttgart to Singen. Regional trains stop here every hour.

Local Public Transport

Böblingen's local transport uses the same ticket system as Stuttgart. The S1 train line connects Böblingen to Stuttgart and its train network. It takes about 25 minutes to get to Stuttgart.

Other train lines also serve Böblingen. The Schönbuchbahn line goes to Dettenhausen. The Rankbachbahn line goes to Renningen. Many bus routes also operate within the city.

U.S. Military Presence

Panzer Kaserne (which means Tank Barracks) is a US military base in Böblingen. It is home to important US Marine Corps and US Army units.

Education in Böblingen

Germany has different types of schools. After elementary school (grades 1-4), students can go to different upper levels of school based on their academic skills.

In Böblingen, you can find:

Two Werkrealschulen (grades 5-9/10)
Two Realschulen (grades 5-10)
Four Gymnasiums (grades 5-12/13), which prepare students for university.
Two special-needs schools.
Several vocational schools for specific job training.
Eight primary schools.
Other private schools.
There is also an American elementary school and a high school on the Panzer Kaserne US Army base.

Museums in Böblingen

Peasants War Museum: This museum tells the story of the 1525 Battle of Böblingen and the fight for freedom by German peasants. It also has a city art gallery.
German Butcher Museum: This museum is in a traditional half-timbered house.
Städtische Galerie Böblingen: This is an art museum.

Important Buildings

The Protestant Parish Church: Located at the market square, this church is a symbol of the city. It was damaged in World War II but was rebuilt.
Water Tower Böblingen-Waldburg
Old Böblingen Airport: This was the first commercial airport in the Stuttgart area, but it is no longer used.
Orplid: A tall apartment building designed by Hans Scharoun, a famous architect.

Events in Böblingen

Fairs: Böblingen hosts several fairs around the marketplace and lakes, like the "Böblinger Jahrmarkt" (Town Fair) in July, a wine festival in September, and a Christmas Market in December.
Böblinger Sommer am See: Since 1996, this "Summer at the Lake" event takes place from June to September. It includes over 60 events like concerts and flea markets around the two lakes.
Concerts and Shows: The Kongresshalle (Congress Hall) hosts many town events, including concerts by international music stars.

Businesses in Böblingen

The Böblingen and Sindelfingen area is home to many large companies. It is known as a center for both car manufacturing and computer industries.

Some of the big companies located here include:

Mercedes-Benz Group (makes luxury cars)
HP Inc. (makes computers, software, and services)
IBM (makes computers, software, and services)
Advantest (semiconductor testing)
Agilent Technologies (electronic equipment)
Avago Technologies (semiconductors)
Keysight Technologies (electronic testing)
Philips (medical monitors)
Smart (makes cars)
Softpro (electronic signature verification)
Wörwag Pharma (medicines and food supplements)

Companies like Hewlett-Packard and IBM develop computer systems and software in the area. Böblingen was also a big center for making computer parts, but many of these production sites have moved.

Sports

The Sporthalle (Civic Center) in Böblingen was one of the places where the FIBA EuroBasket 1971 basketball tournament was held.

Twin Towns – Sister Cities

Böblingen has several twin towns, also known as sister cities. This means they have special friendly relationships with these towns in other countries.