ESSLINGEN, a town of Wiirtemberg, circle of the Neckar, is situated on the river of the same name, and on the railway from Stuttgart to Ulm, 9 miles N.E. of Stuttgart. It is surrounded by walls, and has five suburbs, one of which is on an island in the river. On a commanding height above the town stands an old castle. The church of our lady is a fine Gothic edifice, built in the middle of the 15th century, and has a beautifully sculptured doorway and a tower 230 feet high. The church of St Dionysius dates from the 11th century, and possesses a fine screen and ciborium of 1486. The town hall is a handsome building. Esslingen has a richly endowed hospital, an orphan asylum, and a normal and other schools; and near the town there is a hydropathic establishment for the relief of the insane. The manufactures include woollen and cotton stuff’s, hardware, and machinery. Esslingen was founded about the 8th century, became a free imperial city in 1209, and in 1801 was annexed to Wiirtemberg. The population in 1875 was 19,602.