Rothenburg, an Untouched Medieval Town in Germany
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town along the Romantic Road in Bavaria, Germany, about halfway in between Frankfurt and Munich. It is best known for its medieval town center, seemingly untouched by the passage of time, encircled by the undamaged 14th century town wall.
In the Middle Ages, Rothenburg ob der Tauber was a free imperial city, reaching its apex of prosperity under mayor Heinrich Toppler in the 15th century with a large population of 6,000 - much larger than Frankfurt or Munich at that time. Today Rothenburg is a small, quaint town and a big tourist attraction. The name Rothenburg ob der Tauber means, in German, Red fortress above the Tauber. This is so because the town is located on a plateau overlooking the Tauber River.
The Market Square is the center of urban life in Rothenburg. The Square is framed on the west by the Town Hall, on the north by the City Councillors' Tavern with its Tourist Information center, on the east by shops and cafes, and on the south by St. George's Fountain. The 13th century Town Hall Tower at the center of the Altstadt offers the best view of the area.
While buildings within the walled city reflect the city's medieval history, this part of the city is in many ways a normal, modern German town with some concession to the tourist trade. Many stores and hotels catering to tourists are clustered around the Town Hall Square and along several major streets. Also in the town is a criminal museum, containing various punishment and torture devices used during the Middle Ages.
Rothenburg has appeared in several films, notably fantasies. It was the inspiration for the village in the 1940 Walt Disney movie Pinocchio. Filming was also done in Rothenburg for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
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22 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
From our 2016 trip to Europe
During the town’s heyday in the 12th - 14th c., Rothenburg was one of Germany’s largest towns due to its strategic location on a major trade route. It’s subsequent decline left it a perfectly preserved relic of the Middle Ages.
The Marktplatz was the central hub of town. The white clocktower building at the top of the square is the Councilor’s Tavern built in 1466. It was the site of the “Meistertrunk” legend, where in 1631, the mayor of this Protestant town allegedly saved Rothenburg from being pillaged by a conquering Catholic army when he won a bet that he couldn’t down a huge tankard of wine in one gulp. Mechanical figures built into the façade of the tavern reenact the story but we didn’t capture it on video.
To the left of Councilor’s Tavern is the brown stone New Town Hall, built in 1570 when part of the 13th c. Old Town Hall, which it adjoins (the other white building with the tall pointy tower) was destroyed by fire.
The two fine half-timbered houses had lofts that were filled with enough grain to survive a year-long siege. In front is a 17th c. fountain featuring a statue of St George slaying the dragon. The fountain served multiple purposes: for drinking, for fighting fires, and it was stocked with fish in times of siege. One of the two houses is an apothecary shop dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Marien Apotheke).
Around the corner, we get a better view of the Old Town Hall and its 200-foot tall tower.
We enjoyed visiting the Käthe Wolfahrt Christmas shops, one of which included an animated stuffed-animal display. Outside the shop, Pam chatted with a new friend.
Extending west from the Marktplatz is Herrngasse, the street on which the more aristocratic citizens (the Herren) lived. It ends at the Burgtor, one of the gate towers in the town walls. The holes in the “face mask” allowed defenders to pour boiling oil on would-be intruders.
The Burgtor leads out to the Burggarten, offering a lovely view of the southern “finger” of Rothenburg. Nearby is a convent with a peaceful herb and flower garden.
St Jakobskirche dates to the 1300’s. On this particular day, a wedding was attended by a motorcycle gang, making for a noisy but fun happenstance. When things quieted down, we took a peak at the statues of Adam and Eve adorning the exterior, and the nearby statues of Jesus praying at Gethsemane, carved by an anonymous 14th c. artisan working only for the glory of God.
Inside the church, the main altar is from 1446. Below Christ are statues of 6 saints including the church’s patron Saint James with his customary shell and floppy hat, reminding us that this church was on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route (“Saint Jakob” is “Saint James”). Even the back of the altarpiece is beautifully painted. The stained glass windows behind the altar are originals from the 1330’s.
To the left of the main altar is the Tabernacle of the Holy Eucharist from the mid-1300’s. The compartment below stored the communion bread and wine. God the Father holds the outstretched arms of the Son while the Dove of the Holy Spirit lights on his head. From this vantage point, you can only see the top of the skull on which Jesus is standing, symbolizing his victory over death.
The church’s greatest masterpiece is the Holy Blood Altar, a 500-year-old, 35-foot-high, wooden altarpiece carved by Tilman Riemenschneider, considered the greatest of the German woodcarvers. Pilgrims flocked here in the middle ages to see the crystal in the middle of the cross, avowed to contain a strip of cloth stained with a drop of Christ’s blood. Below it is a Last Supper scene, with John laying his head in Jesus’ lap as Christ gives Judas the telltale piece of bread. In the relief panel on the left, Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey, while the relief panel on the right depicts Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Everything is portrayed in exacting detail, from the curly locks of the apostles’ hair to the nails on the horseshoe.
The southern “finger” of Rothenburg boasts some handsome medieval buildings and towers. The rose-colored 12th c. Saint John’s Church is the oldest in Rothenburg. Light reflected off the water creating fascinating patterns on the fountain in front of the church. The nearby Baumeisterhaus has a Renaissance façade with statues depicting the 7 virtues and 7 vices. Some 20 years earlier, Pam and I celebrated our anniversary by having dinner here during our first trip to Germany. The Baumeisterhaus is just south of the Marktplatz as we once again spot the Councilor’s Tavern. The corner gift shop perched a bubble-blowing bear in it’s upstairs window.
The streets leading east from the Marktplatz also had some lovely medieval architecture, with storks nesting in the top of one tower.
Our B&B was in a 600-year-old half-timbered building with a Tolkienesque pub/restaurant where we enjoyed breakfast and dinner.
The video ends with a series of still photos from our visit.