The city was founded in 1854 by German immigrants Christian Ludwig Meyer, Alois Palmer, Athanasius Henle, and Franz Massopoust. The city was named after the city of Ulm in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Today, Ulm and Neu-Ulm are New Ulm’s sister cities. In part due to the city’s German heritage, it is a center for brewing in the Upper Midwest, home to the August Schell Brewing Company.