Rothenburg's Medieval Crime Museum - Europe's largest legal museum

She has been through a lot Iron Maiden (English: Iron Maiden), which once served in Nuremberg. Even literary lies through Novelist Bram Stoker she had to endure. The reward: a prominent place in the Medieval Crime Museum in Rothenburg. What you should definitely see: the Collection of shame masks as well as the original stretching benches, thumb screws and more torture devices in the basement of the museum – really scary.

Even before you go to the Medieval Crime Museum you find yourself there pillory for selfies and photos of your beloved partner. And behind the entrance gates it rises Cage of the legendary baker's baptism - if a baker cheated on the ingredients, he would go underwater. Right at the entrance to the Medieval Crime Museum there is a vault Torture instruments from dark times: Stretching bench, torture chair with nails or thumbscrews are put into perspective here. Because the museum does not play with the shock effects, rather it fulfills its educational aim Law Museum: How has law developed since the Middle Ages? And what prejudices about the dark times may not be appropriate. There is nothing martial or glorifying violence in the Medieval Crime Museum and so the question can be answered child-friendly presentation answer the content with a “yes”.

However, a trip to the Medieval Crime Museum is not easy fare: in addition to interrogation protocols from witch trials and legal texts from days gone by, highlights such as the Iron Maiden from Nuremberg, executioner's swords and the masks of shame immediately catch your eye. The shame masks were about the honor of the punished: for liars or cheaters there were very different motifs made of metal that had to be worn on the head. And the Iron Maiden from Nuremberg is a must when visiting Rothenburg, as she is considered a legend in the literary world thanks to Bram Stoker. We can promise one thing here: Here too, the Medieval Crime Museum dispels some prejudices.

As a legal history museum, the Medieval Crime Museum also looks at the legal framework between states or within empires: How did the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation function with its emperor? Which principles from that time still have an impact today? In addition to numerous informative display boards, the attention on the 3rd floor of the permanent exhibition automatically turns to the Replicas of imperial regalia, which were made from high quality materials: Imperial crown, scepter and apple represent the three most important imperial insignia of the emperor. After leaving the main building, the visitor can look in the Johanniterscheune in the cafeteria relax and/or view one of the regular special exhibitions at the Medieval Crime Museum.