Reichsburg Castle

The town's origins date back to Rothenburg above the Tauber, a castle that was built around the year 970 and in the possession of the Counts of Comburg-Rothenburg was. 1108 died from the noble family. The last member, Count Henry of Rothenburg, bequeathed the castle to the monastery near Schwäbisch Hall Comburg. 1116 she came into the possession of the Hohenstaufen. Emperor Henry V. gave it as a fief to his nephew, Duke Conrad of Swabia, as the 1137 Conrad III. German king was. He held court in Rothenburg extended, 1142, the Castle of the Counts of the so-called "forward castle" and named the plant kingdom to a castle. The settlement developed east of the castle gate slowly to the city. In 1356 the castle was destroyed by an earthquake. As it turned out that a reconstruction of the ruined castle is not possible, the Emperor Charles IV allowed Rothenburg's citizens to use the stones for the construction of municipal buildings. Only the chapel of St. Blaise, also the "high house of the Dukes", was built 1383-1390 on the former castle grounds again. It serves today as a memorial to the fallen of both world wars. From the castle itself are only the castle gate from the 12th Century, the oldest and highest tower of the town and the idyllic castle gardens maintained. From here a magnificent view over the city skyline and the Tauber Valley.