ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER

city, Bavaria Land (state), south-central Germany. The city lies above the deep valley of the Tauber River, on the scenic romantic route between Wrzburg and the Bavarian Alps. First mentioned as Rotinbure in the 9th century, it developed around a Hohenstaufen fortress and was a free imperial city from 1274 until 1803. It attained its zenith under burgomaster Heinrich Toppler (13731408) and declined after the Thirty Years' War, during which it was besieged and captured (1631) by Catholic League forces under Johann Tserclaes Tilly. At that time, the city was supposedly spared when a citizen accepted a dare from the enemy to drink more than three quarts of wine at one gulp. The event is commemorated every Whitsuntide by the performance of a play, Der Meistertrunk (The Master Gulp). Rothenburg ob der Tauber is encircled by many-towered walls and is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Germany. Its notable landmarks include the Gothic and Renaissance town hall with a Baroque arcade and the Church of St. Jacob (13731528) with a wooden altar by Tilman Riemenschneider. The city's industries include electronics, textiles, steel, and motor vehicles. Pop. (1994 est.) 12,001.