Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Deep in the heart of Germany lies the well-preserved medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.  The town earned its four-word moniker because, apparently, there are other Rothenburgs, which is not unprecedented, of course. (There are 41 towns in America named Springfield.) Literally translated though, the name is derived from “rot” meaning “red” and “burgh” meaning “fortified city.” Rothenburg ob der Tauber loosely translates to “red fortress above the Tauber (River).” The town was built on the side of a cliff and is surrounded by a massive stone wall originally designed with 42 towers. The streets are cobblestone and the buildings are as picturesque as they are old.

Many, many years ago Rothenburg ob der Tauber was an important stop on the trade route linking northern and southern Europe. Pre-1400 Rothenburg ob der Tauber was a “free imperial city” (owing allegiance to only the Holy Roman Empire as opposed to local royalty) with some 6000 citizens.   

   

                    

 

Today it lies along the Romantic Road, which stretches between Munich and Frankfort and attracts by some estimates 2.5 million tourists per year. Rothenburg ob der Tauber is especially attractive to tourists in December because of its hugely popular “Reiterlesmarkt” (Christmas market), which, of course, is why we went. Suitably warned to avoid the weekend crush of Euro-spending, ornament-buying, tour-bus-riding shoppers, we arrived on a Monday.

On the hour throughout the day, tourists flock to the main square (marktplatz) to witness the clock tower and the reenactment of the “Meistertrunk” (master draught). The legend is based on the events of 1631, during the 30 Years War, when the town was sacked once again by invaders. (Makes one wonder about the necessity of that wall.) The story goes that in order to save the town the mayor was challenged to drink six pints of ale in one pull. Seems like a reasonable way to save one’s town, and needless to say, the mayor—probably keeping in mind the future benefits to the tourist industry—did his civic duty.