9+ Interesting WWII Sites in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany is one of my favorite cities in the world and I visit at least once every year. It’s a quaint and irrefutably beautiful medieval town on Germany’s Romantic Road that everyone should visit. For better or worse, Hitler and the Nazis felt the same way. As a result, there are a handful of interesting WWII sites in Rothenburg you can check out here (if you know where to look).

World War II in Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Many years before World War II in Europe even began, Rothenburg ob der Tauber played a major role in Nazi Germany. As a result, it survived most of the war completely unscathed. But in the spring of 1945, like much of the rest of Germany (notably cities like Dresden and Regensburg), it couldn’t avoid Allied bombing. Here are a few of the most notable events in Rothenburg’s WWII history:

The ideal German town

Rothenburg’s tourism boom dates back to around the middle of the 19^th century when domestic and international tourists alike began arriving to see the town’s well-preserved medieval architecture. Shortly after the Nazi regime took over in 1933, it established its Kraft durch Freude program (“Strength Through Joy”). This program sought to provide “vacations” and other leisure activities to German citizens… all while forcing its Nazi ideals down peoples’ throats, of course.

One of the KdF’s most popular activities were trips from all around Germany to Rothenburg—the city the Nazis deemed the most quintessentially “German” town and ideal Nazi community. Rothenburg provided the perfect mix of national history, tradition, community, and culture. It was also considerably close to Nuremberg—the site of the Nazi Party’s enormous propaganda rallies.

For this reason, Rothenburg was both highly publicized and highly subsidized. It served as the crown jewel of German tourism and, as a result, received considerable financial assistance for its historical preservation, upkeep, and promotion.

Anti-Semitism in Rothenburg

Unsurprisingly, the citizens of Rothenburg enthusiastically supported the Nazi Party and everything for which it stood. In 1932, when the Nazi Party earned just 37.2% of the national vote, it actually received 82% of the vote in Rothenburg County, the highest percentage in Nazi history. Rothenburg’s mayor, Friedrich Schmidt, was rabidly anti-Semitic.

Sadly, Rothenburg has a long history of anti-Semitism and persecution of Jews. During the so-called “Rintfleisch Massacre” of 1298, around 450 Jews were brutally murdered here—burned to death while seeking refuge inside the castle or otherwise slaughtered. In 1520, all of the city’s Jews were once again driven out of town. By the start of World War II, there were only 20 Jews left living in Rothenburg. Twenty.

The Nazis’ emphasis on making Rothenburg the “ideal German community” centered largely around what it considered purity and cleanliness. While this began innocently enough with things like keeping trash off the streets and eliminating garish billboards, it quickly evolved into mandating “racial purity” as well. And I’m sure you know where I’m going with this.

Bombing of Rothenburg

Rothenburg survived most of the war unharmed. But on March 31, 1945, the US Army dropped incendiary bombs over Rothenburg, destroying around 40% of its historic center. Shortly after, US Army representatives met with the German commander and negotiated a ceasefire in order to spare the rest of this historically significant town. After the war, the town rebuilt almost all of the destroyed homes and structures in their original likenesses.

Also check out this list of WWII sites in Stuttgart.

WWII Memorials in Rothenburg ob der Tauber

I’ll start this list with the memorials you can find in Rothenburg dedicated to those persecuted and/or killed during WWII.

1. Rothenburg Stolpersteine

First up in terms of WWII sites in Rothenburg are the town’s Stolpersteine. “Stumbling Stones” are small brass cobblestones inlaid in the ground outside the last known residence of a Holocaust victim. They typically contain the person’s name, birth and death dates, as well as their fate and/or the camp at which they were killed. You can find these small memorials in most of the cities that were at one time occupied by Nazi Germany, including Rothenburg.

The dead are divided into years (1939-1946) and each block contains the name and year that person was born. Unrelated but still worth noting: On the outside of the chapel, you’ll find the Pogromstein—a memorial stone dedicated to the Jewish victims of the “Rintfleisch Massacre” in 1298 during which 450 Jews were brutally murdered here in the castle. The sculpture at the top of the stone depicts them burning to death.

WWII Exhibits in Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Rothenburg doesn’t have any dedicated WWII museums, but there are a few places you can find some interesting exhibits on related topics.

4. Rothenburg Museum

Founded with state subsidies during the “Strength Through Joy” period, the Rothenburg Museum is the largest local history museum in town. There’s a ton of stuff to see here, with collections going back as far as the Stone Age. But if you want to learn about the town’s WWII history, you’ll have to head to the basement.

5. St. Wolfgang Church exhibit

Rothenburg’s St. Wolfgang Church is known as the Shepherd’s Church and you’ll find a couple of interesting WWII-related exhibits here. Once inside the church, you can pay a small admission price and then head through the door that’s behind and to the left of the main altar. You’ll wind through some narrow passageways, up and down some medieval steps, and get totally lost in the skeleton of the church.

BUT! Back here are two things worth seeing. One is the Shepherd’s Dance Museum. The Shepherd Dancers were a traditional folk dance group formed in 1911 and especially beloved by the Nazi party. It represented Germany (as Nazi propaganda) in several international and domestic festivals as well as the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Additionally, they regularly performed for the groups visiting Rothenburg as part of the Nazis’ Strength Through Joy program.

The second thing to see is an exhibit showcasing photographs of what Rothenburg looked like at the end of WWII, after the bombings. There are also some framed stories written by those who experienced the bombings, but they’re all in German so be prepared to translate.

Other WWII sites in Rothenburg

Here are a few more interesting spots to check out related to Rothenburg’s WWII history.

7. Wildbad Hotel

What’s known as the Wildbad Hotel today was actually built in 1902 as a spa resort. (But its history goes all the way back to the 1400s when healing springs appeared in the forest outside Rothenburg after a massive earthquake.) After WWI, the spa fell into disarray and was eventually sold.

During the World War II years, this massive property served several different purposes including military hospital and Hitler Youth school, though I haven’t been able to find much more information beyond that. In the spring of 1945 when the US Army negotiated with the German commander to cease the defense of Rothenburg (sparing its historical treasures), that meeting took place here at the Wildbad which served as the local command post.

After the war, the Bavarian Riot Police used it as a training center and various organizations used it as a conference center after that. It has only reopened to the public as a hotel in January 2025. There’s nothing specific to see here related to its WWII history (which it would appear they’re trying to keep under wraps anyway), but it’s still an interesting property to check out if you’re out walking this way.

8. Reichsadler

Above the main entrance to the building located at Ober Bahnhofstraße 31, you can still see a reichsadler (Nazi Eagle) hanging over the door. The swastika has been removed, but the eagle is still there.

During the war, this building served as the local tax office. Also during the war, this street was called Ludwig-Siebert-Straße after the former Mayor of Rothenburg and prominent Nazi politician Ludwig Siebert. After the war, the street’s name was changed, as was common with Nazi-named streets, buildings, parks, etc.

When the US military vacated Rothenburg in 1955, the still-very-Nazi town of Rothenburg decided it was their “moral duty” to change it back. So, from 1955 onward the street was once again known as Ludwig-Siebert-Straße. It wasn’t until 2015 when a hard-fought campaign to remove his name finally succeeded. Since then, it has been called Ober Bahnhofstraße (Upper Railway Street). I guess removing the Reichsadler was just too much to ask?