How about a journey into Stuttgart’s industrial heart? The Stuttgarter Hafen, specifically the Ölhafen, is more than just a port. It is a vital hub connecting Stuttgart to the world.
The Stuttgarter Hafen didn’t just spring up overnight. A competition in 1928 first envisioned a Neckar port. The project faced delays due to the rise of National Socialism. World War II and the post-war period further postponed its realization.
Finally, on September 20, 1954, construction began. Arnulf Klett, then Oberbürgermeister, broke ground. It was Stuttgart’s most expensive project. The first phase cost 58 million Deutsche Mark. An additional 14 million Deutsche Mark was used to purchase private properties on the Neckar shore.
Theodor Heuss, the Federal President, officially opened the Stuttgarter Hafen on March 31, 1958. Imagine the scale of the construction. 1.4 million cubic meters of soil were moved. 85000 cubic meters of concrete were used. 170 switch units and 23 kilometers of track were installed.
A second construction phase took place between 1966 and 1968. This made it the second-largest inland port on the Neckar. The Neckar was relocated about one kilometer west between Mettingen and Stuttgart-Wangen. The Bundesstraße 10 was also relocated. It now runs four lanes west of the Neckar. The costs for this expansion were around 80 million DM.
The Stuttgarter Hafen sits at Neckarkilometer 186. It lies between Untertürkheim and Obertürkheim. It also sits between Wangen and Hedelfingen. The Stuttgart-Hafen district is part of Hedelfingen. The port consists of three docks. These docks cover a water area of 31 hectares. They are located between the Obertürkheim and Untertürkheim locks.
Hafen Stuttgart GmbH operates the port. It is a subsidiary of the city of Stuttgart. Hafenbahn Stuttgart, also operated by Hafen Stuttgart GmbH, connects the extensive area. Around 50 companies are located on the port grounds. These companies provide 2500 jobs.
In 2011, the port handled 3.141 million tons of goods. 0.974 million tons were transported by water. 2.167 million tons were transported by rail. Container traffic is growing strongly. In 2011, a total of 49325 containers were handled. 14085 containers were transported by water. 35240 containers were transported by rail. The rail/road transshipment station moved 19201 containers.
The Stuttgarter Hafen is a trimodal freight transport center. It links inland waterways, railways, and road freight transport. It is a modern commercial and industrial port. It offers a wide range of infrastructure and services. About fifty companies operate in the port area. These include shipping companies, freight forwarders, and trading firms. They employ over 3000 people. These companies handle approximately 3.5 million tons of goods annually. The port connects the region’s industry with global customers. Raw materials arrive, and high-quality finished products leave. They travel by water and rail. The Stuttgarter Hafen remains a vital economic engine.