Göppingen

Göppingen, city, Baden-Württemberg Land (state), southwestern Germany. It lies at the foot of the Swabian Alp, on the Fils River, southeast of Stuttgart. Founded about 1150 by the Hohenstaufen imperial family (whose fortress was nearby), Göppingen passed to the counts of Württemberg in 1273. It was devastated in the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48) and largely destroyed by fire in 1425 and 1782. The city’s population was greatly increased after World War II by the influx of refugees from eastern Europe. Notable buildings are the late Gothic Oberhofen Church (1436–80) and the former ducal palace (1552–68). Göppingen is strategically located on the major rail line between Bavaria and the Stuttgart region and has become an important manufacturing site. Local industry produces machinery, motor-vehicle parts, chemical and pharmaceutical products, and a variety of other light industrial goods. Pop. (2003 est.) 57,859.