Neckarsulm
Neckarsulm () is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, near Stuttgart, and part of the district of Heilbronn. , Neckarsulm had 26,800 inhabitants. The name Neckarsulm derives from the city's location where the Neckar and Sulm rivers meet. Neckarsulm is known for its renewable energy projects and wine. The Weingärtnergenossenschaft Neckarsulm-Gundelsheim (winegrower's cooperative of Neckarsulm and Gundelsheim) is the oldest winegrower's collective in Germany. The wine Trollinger and Lemberger are the principal varieties of grape grown in this region. The Schwarz Gruppe (Schwarz Group) who leads both companies Lidl and Kaufland has its headquarter in Neckarsulm . Neckarsulm was first mentioned in a document in 771 and was granted city status around 1300. The city celebrates its 1250th birthday in 2021. Geography. Neckarsulm is located on the eastern side of the Neckar River Valley. The town is approximately from the Löwenstein Mountains away and part of the Swabian-Franconian Forest. Neckarsulm is to Heilbronn the closest city and the sixth largest city in the federal state Baden-Württemberg. The urban area of Neckarsulm consists of the city itself and the districts of Amorbach, Dahenfeld, and Obereisesheim. History. Archaeological finds such as vessel shards indicates human activity in  the greater Neckarsulm region as early as the middle of the 6th millennium B.C. (Neolithic period) In 2001, archaeologists found a Late Bronze Age burial ground in Trendpark-Süd (roughly on the area of the German IT company Bechtle), which was dated to around 1100 BC on the basis of metal and ceramic finds. Graves found south of the old city wall indicate a Frankish settlement from the 7th century AD. The town, formerly called "Sulmana" or "Sulmgau", is dated to the year 771 in a deed of donation to Lorsch Abbey. Sulmana is mentioned in the Lorsch Codex. The  area became known as Neckarsulm in the 16th century. Population. The numbers are estimates, census results (¹) or data from statistical offices. ¹ Census results ² The population increase between 1950 and 1961 comes from the new district Neckarsulm-Amorbach. In 1955, around 3,000 people lived in this place. Economy. Schwarz Gruppe, owner of Lidl and Kaufland — the largest European food chain — has its headquarters in Neckarsulm. The city was the home of the car manufacturer NSU which was taken over by Volkswagen in 1969 and fused with Auto Union to create Audi. The former NSU plant is now one  of Audi's two most important assembly plants in Germany and manufactures the company's larger high-end models such as the Audi A6, A7, A8. Audi's performance subsidiary Audi Sport GmbH which produces the R8 is also placed here. The "NSU" logo on early vehicles stands for the town name "Neckarsulm". Other well-known companies based in Neckarsulm are Fujitsu TDS, Bechtle AG and Rheinmetall Automotive AG.