The oldest documented mention (Rothuluestad) dates back to 1212, 35 years later the name Radoluestede appears. Both words point to the foundation of Rahlstedt as a Saxon settlement by a Radulf or Radolf. The last syllable -stede means dwelling place. At that time the settlement was outside the city limits of Hamburg and belonged to the Duchy of Holstein. (From 1864 to Prussia). At the turn of the century, Rahlstedt became a sought-after villa suburb, where Hamburg merchants preferred to settle. Beautiful fin-de-siècle villas still characterize the townscape of central Rahlstedt today. The small river Wandse supports this idyllic impression. Thanks to its growing attractiveness, Rahlstedt's population increased continuously, so that a new railroad line was opened in 1904. It ran between Lübeck, Büchen and Hamburg, but was later discontinued. In 1927, several villages were merged to form the Prussian municipality of Rahlstedt, which in turn was annexed to Hamburg in 1937. In the 1930s, Rahlstedt developed into a large garrison town with three barracks. All military facilities were closed in the 1990s. Today, attractive housing estates can be found on the former barracks grounds, which have significantly increased the number of inhabitants to 85,000. The only sports training area is now Hamburg's largest nature reserve and THE local recreation area for Rahlstedt residents. In the hilly landscape of the Höltigbaum, half of which is already on Schleswig-Holstein territory, the cute Heidschnucken feel right at home.