Prison museum

Within Rothenberg, there is a criminal museum.  A huge collection of prison and torture devices used in the middle ages. 

Oh the things people had to endure publically.  And the people of that time believed themselves to be civilized and modern.

Torture was written in the law books of the day as the legal way to procure a confession.  It was part of the process of law, and punishment was then immediate, no time for an appeal--even if the sentence was death.

By far, the most common pieces in the museum were shame masks and neck violins, used for different types of humiliation.  Those being punished were put on display, and it was encouraged that those walking past ridicule them. 
This, I suppose, is how what is culturally acceptable or not becomes deeply ingrained in a society.  Even when there is no longer fear of punishment in the town square, people still frown upon someone being a tale-bearer.

Rothenberg ob der Tauber: rooftops

It's possible to walk along the old city walls of Rothenberg.  From up here, there's a fantastic view of the village and its rooftops.

Rothenberg ob der Tauber: churches

For such a small place, the village of Rothenberg has a lot of churches. 

Rothenberg ob der Tauber: doors

Doors are often pretty anyway.  And Rothenberg ob der Tauber has some which are especially full of character.

Rothenberg ob der Tauber: towers

Stand and look down any street in Rothenberg ob der Tauber and you'll see a tower peaking out in the distance.
Well preserved towers.  Some as many as eight hundred years old. 

Rothenberg ob der Tauber: buildings

Welcome to Rothenberg ob der Tauber, where it's one pretty thing after another after another after another after another...

We'll start with the houses and buildings...

The pretty half timbered houses and cobbled streets take you back to the middle ages--and that's just where they came from.  The city has strict preservation laws, and even after forty percent of it was destroyed in WWII bombings, it was still built back to it's original state.