Rothenburg ob de Tauber – Rooftops, Razorcuts and Ridicule

The Operator had marked out our walking route of the sites we wanted to cover and we set off in the cool overcast morning, the town was still ours at 9.00am, the tour buses hadn’t started arriving yet.

We walked to the 900 year old Roder Gate which is attached to part of the 12th century wall, climbed up into it and started to follow the defense corridor over the rooftops in the opposite direction to yesterday.

This wall further along was bombed and rebuilt and looks into residential yards and back streets.  Very few people were out and about in this area and it was very pleasant.  The next gate we came to still has the toll booth and the gatekeepers cottage.  We descended the wall into the Spital Bastion, one of the most impressive and intact of the towns fortifications, this bastion has two inner courtyards seven gates and an upper walkway….yes, it was a little confusing.  A Latin inscription over the 14th century gate reads,’ ‘Peace to those who enter, Farewell to those who leave’.

The Museum was soooooo interesting. Short snappy explanations of things in a typical efficient German manner which was excellent.  The museum was in the bowels of some ancient building that was dim like an ancient torture chamber itself.

Back in the day for you to be convicted of a crime all that was needed was an accusation or an eye witness, you did have to then plead guilty of the allegation….torture was a legal way to get an admission of guilt, and was for the next 400 years, until they realized, hey, hold on, me thinks innocent people are pleading guilty because of the torture….

The also had amazing ancient manuscripts on display, this is the hand written account of the charge of witchcraft against a lady accused in 1439….THE original writing in THE original book. Her signature to the confession is on the bottom of the page.

The alleyway of ancient torture weapons was inspiring, the innovation for countless thumbscrew designs incredible.  But what intrigued Rosie the most were the implements of public mortification….bring them back I say.

Being held accountable for your crime with a public shaming surely would be a deterrent today as much as then…a nosey, gossipping woman is made to wear the gossips mask made of iron with a big pointy nose and sealed mouth piece with a whistle inside….every breathe she takes the whistle blows to draw attention, this woman is chained in the town square for the day as punishment for her crime.  The same for drunkenness and fighting.  If you didnt go to church on Sunday, which was compulsory by law in Rothenberg, and they knew…cause every member of the town had their own seats!  If you were not present in church you were called up to sit at the doors next Sunday wearing the giant iron rosary beads of shame….SHAME.

And whats a torture museum without an Iron Maiden…this was in private ownership until it came up for auction at Sothebys in the 70s….cool.

After our wander around this morning Rosie and The Operator had discovered the normal town with in the town walls.  A little Four Square style supermarket and various other shops that were a tad off the beaten track in the more residential area.  Rosie went back to the Hotel and The Operator went to the Barber shop for a haircut…when he came back, in the door walked the latest Aryan Brotherhood recruit.  His style got lost in translation me thinks…a number two buzz cut here is a hell of a lot shorter…if possible.  The Operator is rocking his stubble hairdo, his two day unshaven chin is longer than his hair.

Whilst Rosie was looking at the ancient manuscripts, The Operator was mooching around the windows. They all had drawn curtains and he was peeking behind them….look what he found from the second story of the Criminal Museum.  The elusive Doubleback bridge.  Rosie and The Operator ducked behind the curtain and got the perfect shot we had been looking for through the glass.

The Operator then went and climbed the Town Hall tower – 208 steps to the top. It started out with a nice wide spiral stone staircase and deteriorated into a wooden single file rickety staircase and then the final flight, a wooden ladder to the top.  Thank god Rosie didnt go, I hope the ticket seller judges and warns you if they think you wont make it.  Shame on Rosie though cause the view was awesome.  The Operator took a few pics from the top.

After the climb The Operator still had energy to burn so went for a walk outside the city gates in search of the elusive Dopplebacker Bridge….no problems there, found.

The Operator is having a well deserved brew on the deck, check out the German version of a swap a crate. Cute eh, Rosie is so taking the crate and bottles home…after The Operator has emptied then of course, they will make excellent 500ml tomato sauce bottles.

We loved our time in Rothenburg, there was alot of people around but they were clumped into busloads and it was totally bearable, after 3pm when they all left the viallage and before 10am the town was like a little oasis of silence and emptyness.  We really enjoyed our time here.