Bohemian Highlights -- Rothenburg

 

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a picturesque town in Bavaria, Germany, known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and charming old town. It is a popular stop along the "Romantic Road", attracting many tourists each year. Above shows the center of town, which features the marketplace and St. James Church.

We stopped in Rothenburg on our way from Prague to Frankfurt on the last day of our two-week tour of Central Europe. By this time I wasn't taking notes or photos, so I'm depending on Google Images and Wikipedia for assistance.

 

The name "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" is German for "Red castle above the Tauber", which describes the town's location on a plateau that overlooks the Tauber River.  The town was founded in 1170 as the "Red Castle" (Staufer Castle) was being built. Only the “White Tower” and the Markus Tower with the Röder Arch are preserved from the original castle.  
 

 

St. James (St. Jakobskirche in German) is a Lutheran church (originally Catholic). Built between 1311 and 1484, it is on a medieval pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

 The church contains the celebrated Holy Blood Altarpiece by Tilman Riemenschneider, a master woodcarver and sculptor, as well as a monumental altarpiece painted by Friedrich Herlin.

             

 

 

Rothenburg was a walled city and portions of the wall are still visible--and climb-able, although for me seeing is believing while climbing is not an option. These walls were built in the 13th century.

 

Rothenburg played a special role during World War II. The Nazis believed it was the "most German of German towns", so throughout the 1930s they even organized day trips to the town from across the Reich. In October 1938 townspeople expelled its Jewish citizens. I saw a small medallion in front of a shop on the main street that said the store was owned by Jewish family for several decades.

Newer eastern part of Rothenburg following Allied bombing raid with the still standing outer walls of the buildings which were used in the rebuild, 1945

The most interesting story about Rothenburg occurred during the close of the war in March 1945.  The Nazis stationed soldiers there to defend it as the Allies were bombing many German cities. On March 31, they killed 37 people and destroyed 275 houses (about a third of the cities' houses), several public buildings, and over 2,000 feet of wall. However, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of War, John J. McCloy knew of the historic significance and beauty of Rothenburg, and he ordered U.S. Commanding General Jacob L. Devers not to use artillery to take the town. Instead, six soldiers from the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Divivision were sent to negotiate a German surrender of the town. As the soldiers encountered a German guard, they held up a white flag and said that the Allies would spare the town from bombing if they gave up in the next three hours. The German commander, Major Thömmes, had been told by Hitler to fight to the end. However, Thömmes ignored the order and gave up the town in order to save it. American troops occupied the town on April 17, 1945. In November 1945, former Secretary McCloy was named an honorary citizen of Rothenburg.

Rothenburg was also rumored to be the setting for a brief shot in one of the Harry Potter films: The Deathly Hallows Part 1 in March 2020. However, another town was used instead. Even the helicopter shots above the town were axed.

Today, many newly-married couples come to the town to take their wedding photos. 

Sources

Wikipedia -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothenburg_ob_der_Tauber 

Harry Potter filming in Rothenburg -- https://geektrippers.com/harry-potter-germany-filming-location/