Before 1632 it was known as "Udenheim".
The city was a possession of the Bishop of Speyer from 1371-1718, one of whom was Philipp Christoph von Sötern (bishop from 1610-1652), who gave the town its name.
Historically, possession of the town was disputed between Germany and France. Formerly there was a fortress, which was the site of a siege during the War of the Polish Succession.
The town is the site of a Nuclear power plant.