The foundation of the German Empire in 1871 was accompanied by unprecedented public and private building activities. Heilbronn sandstone was the material of choice for most of the lavishly ornate façades.
In 1874 the City of Heilbronn commissioned Prof Reinhard Baumeister of Karlsruhe to devise an urban planning strategy. It shaped the city’s development and is still recognisable on present-day city maps.
On the occasion of the prestigious 1897 industrial exhibition an electric tramway ran through the city centre on the new Kaiserstrasse.