Leaving Munich
Our plan on the way out of Munich was to stop by the Olympic Stadium. But after driving out there, we could not find an open parking lot since it was too early for the tours. This was disappointing to J. R. as this was one of the sites he had wanted to see in Munich.
We began our drive to Rothenburg. We had planned to take the "Romantic Road" once we got out of town but the directions on our guide book did not help much and GPS kept trying to take us to the highway. So we wandered through a few small villages and then got back on the limited access road. This was fine until we reached a place where the road was completely closed for construction. The detour signs took us off the road but then disappeared. We turned around in a small town and drove in circles for awhile, ending up back in the same town. J. R. pulled up data on his phone and found an alternate route that ended up merging into the Romantic Road, which was less than romantic as we trailed a large oil tanker most of the way since he also could not take the highway.
Deutsches Weihnachtsmuseum
We finally made it to Rothenburg and after circling the town, we passed through a tight gate and found our way to our hotel and checked in. The proprietor was very friendly and gave us maps of the town and advice on what we should see. Our first stop, though, was the Christmas Museum on our way to the main square, with its exhibits on the history of Christmas and a fabulous Christmas shop. We lamented that since our move in 2021 to a smaller house and having already given away a lot of our decorations, we had no need to purchase more. If we had been then 10 years earlier, we would have come home with so much cool stuff.
Walking Through Town
Following the Christmas museum, we went to the town center, with the Rathausturm (Town Hall) on one side and the Georgsbrunnen fountain on the other bearing a sculpture of St. George defeating the dragon that dates back to 1446. We passed through the famous Plönlein with its half-timbered houses and archway and walked down to the Spitaltor and the city walls, ending at the Kobolzeller Turm gate tower that was built around 1360.
Walking The Walls
On the advice of our hotel hosts, we climbed up the stairs and walked the length of the ancient stone walls that once protected Rotherburg from invaders. The town had thrived for many many years until the 1630s when the Catholic troops left and the plague ravaged the town. This actually led to the town's preservation as a medieval city as there was little money and few residents to bother with upgrading the village. Eventually artists discovered the town and took to its beauty, further preserving the city. The wall walk gave us a good view of the village as well as the fortifications.
St. Wolfgang's Church
We reached St. Wolfgang's Church, where we had entered the city. A host came out and told us the church would be closing soon for the day but we could still enter and visit. So we paid our fee and walked through the building. Thomas and J. R. climbed the spiral staircase to view the exhibits on farming in the village as well as the history of the shepherd dance. J. R. would regret this as his knee popped coming up one of the stairs.
Back into Town
From the church, we returned through the town, stopping to admire St. Jakobs Kirche and its impressive sculptures before returning to the hotel to claim our luggage and take it up to our rooms.
Burggarten
The Burggarten was right next to our hotel and stands where the former Staufer castle once stood. We looked down into the Tauber Valley and admired the beauty of the English park.
The Night Watch
We walked back to the town square where we had a light lunch at one of the cafes and enjoyed a few beers. J. R. went back to the hotel to get some Advil for his knee and rest and Janie and Thomas stayed in the square for another wine and beer and enjoy the late afternoon. He returned a little later and brought some sodas from a local shop as we waited for the start of the Night Watchman's Tour. Hans Georg Baumgartner, a local resident, conducts a nightly tour of the city. In the 19th century, the night watchman was responsible for the safety of the citizens. Armed with is hellebarde and horn, he protected the residents from drunks and thieves as well as warning them in the event of a fire, the worse possible disaster for a wood-framed city.
Mr. Baumgartner walked us through town, telling the stories of the Catholic Army invasion in the Thirty Years War and the destruction of part of the town wall when the main gunpowder storehouse was blown up. When the Army left, this marked the end of Rothenburg as a prominent trading town.
Rothenburg was not destroyed in World War II as much as other cities like Dresden. Allied bombers attacked the city on March 31, 1945, killing 39 people and destroying 306 houses, six public buildings, nine of the town's ancient towers and more than 2,000 feet of the historic wall but poor weather held off any additional bombings. Deputy Secretary of State General John McCloy, who parents had paintings of the city and was this familiar with the historic importance and beauty of Rothenburg, sent word through the local commander that the city would be spared further bombing if the citizens could guarantee that it would not be used as a base for further resistance. The German troops surrendered on the 17th of April and a few hours later, the city was again occupied by foreign troops bearing the American flag. General John McCloy was awarded the "Honorable Protectorate of Rothenburg" in November, 1948.
