...on the Tauber River

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a walled medieval town on the must-see list for tourists visiting Bavaria. Among the popular sites are: 1) the Plonlein - a very picturesque street with great little shops and eateries;

2) the Holy Blood Reredos (alter panel) in the church (cathedral) of St. James - carved in about 1500 and supposedly contains a small amount of Christ’s blood;

3) the town square where one can see a working astronomical clock on the gable of a tavern and climb the high tower in the town hall - the roof top photo of the town was taken from the tower;

4) the Medieval Crime Museum - our twelve-year-old son was particularly interested in the many torture devices on display; and

5) the wall itself, which has a covered walkway along the top, and extends between a series of towers - these photos are of the Roder Tower and the wall.

Except for one, the photos are scans of ones taken with a Canon AE-1 during a family trip in 1993, and so are of limited quality. The last photo, of the wall, is from the Internet.

It is commonly believed that Rothenburg was spared during the Allied bombing of Germany during WWII because of its historical value. In fact, the town was bombed once in 1945, possibly because the Nazis held it up as a model German community. However, allied forces did not shell the town and reduce it to rubble before taking it. The turnover was uneventful and Rothenburg was rebuilt.