The settlement of Mosbach developed around the
Benedictine monastery of
Mosbach Abbey (
"Monasterium Mosabach"), the first written record of which dates from the 9th century. In 1241 rights and privileges had been granted to Mosbach as an
Imperial free city. These rights were lost in 1362 when Mosbach became part of the
Electorate of the Palatinate. With the division of the lands of King
Rupert in 1410, Mosbach became the capital of a small principality known as
Palatinate-Mosbach as the inheritance for his son
Otto I. With the death of his brother
John, Count Palatine of Neumarkt 1443, the territory of
Palatinate-Neumarkt was added in a personal union to Palatinate-Mosbach creating the territory of
Palatinate-Mosbach-Neumarkt. This principality was dissolved with the death of Count Palatine
Otto II in 1499. The city and adjoining territory reverted to the
Electorate of the Palatinate, and Mosbach became the capital of the administrative district of
"Oberamt Mosbach". In 1806 the city was made part of the
Grand Duchy of Baden. In
World War II, the Mosbach area was the location of a
Daimler-Benz underground airplane engine factory, {{Citation |last=Gurney |first=Gene (Major, USAF) |year=1962 |title=The War in the Air: a pictorial history of World War II Air Forces in combat |location=New York |publisher=Bonanza Books ==Twin towns and sister cities==