Franciscan Abbey, Rothenburg ob der Tauber 1.63

The Franciscan Friary of Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a former friary of the Conventual Franciscans in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria in the diocese of Bamberg. Nowadays the former Franciscan church is an Evangelical Lutheran parish church.HistoryThe friary, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was founded in 1281 by Hermann von Hornburg, Schultheiß of Rothenburg, and others. It was wound up in 1548 in the wake of the Reformation.The buildings of the friary, vacated voluntarily, were used initially for the establishment of a grammar school, later as a home for the widows of priests. In 1805 the building became, among other things, a salt store. Parts of the premises (cloisters, refectory, etc.) were demolished; many of the contents were destroyed or sold, including the Wiblinger Altar by Tilman Riemenschneider.In spite of the losses and damages of the past the church today is a significant example of the church of a mendicant order, with a rood screen and important art treasures.