Württemberg

Württemberg is a historic region and former state in what is now Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. The name derives from Württemberg Castle, a medieval fortress that gave its rulers their title. The region centers on the Neckar River valley and the Stuttgart metropolitan area and roughly corresponds to parts of today's Württemberg region and Swabian Jura.

The rulers: The Counts of Württemberg established themselves in the 11th century; their territory was elevated to the Duchy of Württemberg in 1495 within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1806 Napoleon raised it to a Kingdom, ruled by the House of Württemberg until the monarchy ended in 1918. The kingdom's territory expanded through mediatisation in the early 19th century, absorbing nearby lands.

After 1918, Württemberg became the Free People's State of Württemberg within the Weimar Republic. After World War II, the state was partitioned: Württemberg-Baden in the American zone and Württemberg-Hohenzollern in the French zone, combining with Baden to form Baden-Württemberg in 1952.

Today the historic region's name survives in cultural and academic use; the core area is part of Baden-Württemberg, with Stuttgart as the capital. The term is used in historical studies, dialect (Swabian), cuisine, and regional identity.