Göppingen is a city in southern Germany, part of the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg. It is the capital of the district Göppingen. It is situated at the bottom of the Hohenstaufen mountain, in the valley of the river Fils.
Göppingen was founded by the Dukes of Staufen in the 13th century. In 1319 the city was acquired by the Counts of Württemberg and has been part of Württemberg ever since. There are no seals known from before 1319. The oldest known seal dates from 1338 and shows the deer antler of Württemberg, surrounded by balls, probably to distinguish the arms from similar arms. In the 15th century (known since 1473) the arms were changed to the present arms, however, the colours have changed regularly during the centuries. The present colours are known since 1535, but in 1595 the arms were shown in opposite colours and in 1605 of red and gold. The meaning of the colours is not known. A disastrous fire on August 25, 1782 destroyed most of the town, but it was immediately rebuilt. Industrialisation during the 19th century made the area into a centre of industry. The importance of such industry is still seen in the town in the present day in companies such as Märklin and Schuler.
In 1930, a civilian air field was built north of Göppingen. This was acquired by the Luftwaffe in 1935 and expanded into Fliegerhorst Kaserne. From 1945 through 1949, displaced persons and refugees were housed in the kaserne. In 1949, it was renamed Cooke Barracks in honor of Charles H. Cooke, Jr. who had been posthumously awarded the Silver Star and Soldier's Medal for gallantry in action. In late 1950, the 7th Army had been reactivated in Stuttgart and U.S. Army units began to be stationed at Cooke Barracks. The barracks began to be expanded and was used as the 28th Infantry Division headquarters. The 28th Infantry was redesignated as the 9th Infantry Division (United States) in 1954 and was replaced by the 8th Infantry Division in 1956. They were then replaced by the 4th Armored Division in 1957, which was redesignated as the 1st Armored Division in 1971 and moved to Hindenburg Kaserne in Ansbach in 1972. The 1st Infantry Division moved from Augsburg in 1972 until they were deactivated in 1991. Cooke Barracks was returned to the German government in 1992. The barracks were again used to house refugees for some time, then returned to civilian use.
