According to the earliest traces of the city, the area that is now called Innsbruck was first inhabited during the Stone Age. The area was inhabited continuously. During the 4th century, the Romans set up an army station named Veldidena at Innsbruck. The army station was set up in order to guard the Verona-Brenner-Augsburg road that was an important economic asset.
The city’s name was first mentioned as an essential crossing point on the river inn. Innsbruck coat of arms and seal have an image of the bridge. This image was created in 1267 when the bridge served as an important link between the south and north. It provided an easy path to get past the Alps. The bridge generated a lot of revenue and this is one of the factors that resulted in the growth of the city.
The city was selected as the Tyroll capital in 1429 and it became a European culture and politics hub during the 15th Century. One of the leaders, Emperor Maximillian, lived in the city during the 1490s. The presence of the emperor was very beneficial to the city and this is evident from the monument erected in the city.
Ferdinand II became the Archduke of Austria he ruled Tirol and other Austrian possessions until the 18th century. He built several famous buildings like the Schloss Ambras and he kept several renaissance collections that are now showcased at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
The city is also home to the first opera to be opened in the Alps in the 1960s. The first university was founded in 1669.
The city was ruled by Bavaria during the Napolenic wars but this rule ended in when a peasant army from Tyrol fought the French and Bavarian forces. The city and the entire country were damaged by several bomb attacks during the World Wars.