Südstadt is a borough of Karlsruhe between Oststadt and the main train station.

When the first train station in the city of Karlsruhe was inaugurated on April 1, 1843, a railway workers' settlement was formed on the site of the former "Augärten" (meaning floodplain gardens).

From 1849 to 1997, there was a repair shop of the Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway in the southern part of the borough.

As traffic continued to increase and a major extension of the tracks became necessary, the station was finally moved south in 1913.

In addition to the traffic problems, the living conditions of the population in the tenement blocks were poor.