The Staufer city foundations shaped the high medieval cultural landscape of Southwest Germany. Purposefully planned and designed cities as centers of power, economy, and administration were intended to secure the possessions of the Staufer house in the Neckar region, Kraichgau, and Upper Rhine. The founding of new cities and the elevation of existing settlements significantly contributed to the systematic expansion of their rule and are examined here in an interdisciplinary context. In addition to the cross-regional aspects of Staufer city policy, the most important Staufer cities are presented in detail and compared.