Burgtor / Castle Gate - Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany
N 49° 22.603 E 010° 10.495
32U E 585285 N 5469998
Castle Gate was built around 1460. It is named such because two castles destroyed by earthquake were previously here. / Das Burgtor wurde um das Jahr 1460 erbaut. Es wird so genannt, weil zwei von Erdbeben zerstörte Burgen hier waren.
Waymark Code: WMYKBE
Location: Bayern, Germany
Date Posted: 06/24/2018
Views: 9
In 1356 an earthquake destroyed the castle that stood immediately west of here. Later, in 1375, locals erected the highest gate tower in the Rothenburg town defenses here. The outer gate (decorated with a coat of arms) and the pointed-gabled guardhouse were built before 1600.
With excerpts from (
visit link) and (
visit link) here is a concise history of the town.
The 14th and 15th centuries, to some degree, were the heydey of the town. In 1274 it became a free imperial city which included more rights and autonomy and the city developed even more. Although a significant earthquake in 1356 destroyed both castles, the city rebounded well.
The great times ended in the early 1600s. The 30 years war from 1618 to 1648 (a horrible dispute between Catholics and Protestants) caused misery and destruction in Germany, and in Rothenburg ob der Tauber as well. In particular, in 1631, General Tilly, leading a 40,000 imperial Catholic army, asked for winter quarter in Rothenburg. The city's council and senators denied the request and decided to defend Rothenburg and its Protestant belief. Rothenburg's heavy fortification could withstand a siege, however, after the gunpowder tower blew off and destroyed parts of the city wall, Rothenburg had to surrender.
Tilly's troops took revenge for the 300 soldiers they had lost in the short battle. They plundered the town and left three months later. Additionally, the Black Plague depleted the population drastically, so Rothenburg fell into insignificance for over two centuries.
By the time the impacts of the plague were over, the city had lost its Imperial credentials. In 1802 and 1803, it fell to the Kingdom of Bavaria as part of Napoleon’s reallocation of lands. In addition, the western part of its former territories was ceded to Württemberg in 1810.
In the late 19th century, tourism began to play a role in the town's revitalization and while there was bombing that destroyed about 45% of the buildings during WWII, the town has completely bounced back and is a mecca for visitors, in part because the restorations have been so authentic.