Bruchsal's long history goes back to the year 976, when it first found mention in key documents. By 980, it was visited by the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, who resided at the king's palace. It was thus that the city found prominence through the centuries, being finally bestowed the status of Große Kreisstadt, and thus becoming an independent city in 1956. It is home to numerous vestiges of its past, most notably the baroque Bruchsal Palace, and the Michaelsberg hill, known for its discovery of a Neolithic settlement.
