Photo Pest: Rothenburg

Monday, October 9, 2023

Morning In Rothenberg

I got up early to complete my circumnavigation of Rothenberg atop the city's fortress walls. Only two other cities in Germany have medieval walls as intact. That cutesy horse and carriage sign in the lower right-hand corner tells you everything you need to know.

Like the previous evening, I walked in the direction that had the best light for photos. A wooden canopy protects visitors from the elements.

I descended to check out St. Wolfgang's, a late Gothic church which hadn't opened yet.

Empty streets yielded quiet treasures. Tour buses don't begin rolling in (and then filling up the streets with horse-drawn carriages) until after 9 a.m.

You may be wondering why the Allies mostly spared Rothenburg from bombing given its proximity to Munich, Frankfurt and Nuremberg, my next stop. An assistant U.S. Secretary of War took pity, and local American troops gave the Germans a three-hour window to surrender prior to launching an artillery assault. The Germans complied, defying Hitter's orders to fight to the end. It's now on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites. I heard something similar about Heidelberg which, IMHO, is more worthy of a visit due in part to the presence of a world-class university which promotes knowledge, not folklore.

I climbed to the top of the bell tower on the tall white building (no easy feat; it felt like going back in time the higher I got) for a bird's eye view. Note the fountain in both photos.

As part of his MoMA retrospective, I subsequently discovered that artist Ed Ruscha had taken a similar shot more than six decades earlier. The patterns of people moving on the street interested him more than the architecture.

"Rothenberg" by Ed Ruscha (1961)

I couldn't very well depart from the city without checking out Germany's national headquarters of Christmas porn.

Käthe Wohlfahrt sells some pricey cuckoo clocks, too. Each of these will set you back at least $1,000. I should have kept the one my parents gave me as a kid.

Other stores were just beginning to open as I made my way back to my hotel, just outside the city walls.

This cafe awaited the afternoon rush with a branded scooter, appropriately orange.

I had one final item on my check list: getting a close-up of a Jewish star I had seen from atop the city walls the evening before.

More Bavaria:

The Shudder Of History

Monsters On Trial

Holy Roman Emperor Hotel

Location, Location, Location!

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Whiplash

I'd never heard of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a relatively intact Bavarian town dating back to the Middle Ages until Chris recommended it. He described it as "over-the-top."

Indeed it was. The closer I got to the Marktplatz, the more I expected to see Hansel and Gretel come skipping down the cobblestoned streets holding hands.

My late afternoon walking tour required a bit of psychological adjustment after spending the morning at Dachau. In fact, the Nazis embraced Rothenburg as the quintessential German village going so far as to organize day trips from all over the Third Reich. Yesterday's fascist propaganda is today's fairy tale. How's that for successful re-branding?

The "red fortress on the River Tauber" sits atop a hill covered with vineyards.

Expensive gift shops contribute to the story book charm.

Bavarian scenes decorate half-timbered structures.

The old castle gate makes an excellent framing device (from both sides).

Jews were an early part of Rothenburg's history. From 1390 to 1520, their community center was located in one of the building's attached to the White Tower, built as part of the city walls nine centuries ago.