It is in part a Schuttberg, an artificial hill built from the ruins and rubble from World War II.

During the war, 53 Allied bombing missions destroyed over 45% of Stuttgart, and nearly the entire city center.

The locals colloquially call the Birkenkopf "Monte Scherbelino", which roughly translates as "Mount Shards" but in an expression alluding to Italian.

This translates roughly as: This mountain, after World War II piled up from the ruins of the city, stands as a memorial to the victims and a reminder to the living.

From the summit the whole city center can be seen, and on a clear day the view extends to the Swabian Alb, to the Black Forest, and the lowlands of Württemberg.