The area was settled by the Alamanni peoples in the 7th century. Founded by the 9th century, Ulm became a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire in 1154 and was the leader of the Swabian League from 1376 to 1534. Ulm was the scene of a battle in 1805 in which Napoleon defeated the Austrians. The city is the birthplace of Albert Einstein.  Below, you can see that the Danube is the boundary of Ulm and Neu Ulm.