The Mittelalterliches Kriminalmuseum is Germany’s largest museum of legal history, spread over four floors of a former commandery of the Knights of St. John and a modern extension. Despite its name, it covers around a thousand years, from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, and it is as much about law, courts and everyday justice as it is about torture.
That said, the famous objects are the grisly ones: shame masks for gossips, “neck violins” that pinned quarrelsome women together, the dunking basket (Schandkorb) for bakers who sold short loaves, and a spiked chair. Labels are in German and English, and the museum does a thoughtful job of explaining the social history behind each exhibit.
Top things to do: Medieval Crime Museum
Follow the four floors in order
The route runs chronologically from medieval law codes and courts to the Enlightenment, when torture was finally abolished. Allow 1.5–2 hours to do it justice.
Find the dunking basket in the courtyard
Outside, a wooden crane with a cage — the Schandkorb — recalls how cheating bakers were dunked in water. It is one of the most photographed objects in town.
Combine with the Plönlein and the Franciscan church
The museum sits on the Burggasse, a few steps from the Plönlein and the quiet Franciscan church, and on the way to the castle garden.
How to get there
- Address: Burggasse 3–5, about 3 minutes on foot south-west of the Market Square.
- From the station: around 15 minutes on foot through the old town.
- Accessibility: the museum has a lift to most floors; ask at the ticket desk.
Insider tips
- Opening hours are longer from spring to autumn and shorter in winter; check the current hours before visiting in January–March.
- The subject matter is dark: the museum suits older children, but young ones may be upset by some displays.
- The café and shop at the entrance sell Schneeballen — a handy excuse for a break.
- On a rainy day this is the best indoor sight in Rothenburg, so expect it to be busier in bad weather.
Best tours & tickets: Medieval Crime Museum
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Medieval Crime Museum and the rest of Rothenburg:
Guided walk from €200 per group Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Medieval Musical Tour
A walking tour with a soundtrack: the guide pairs Rothenburg’s sights and stories with live performances of German medieval and Renaissance music, using the town’s churches and lanes as a stage. Small and rarely crowded.
- Live medieval and Renaissance music along the way
- St. John’s Church and the Crime Museum as backdrops
- An unusual, genuinely memorable format
Guided walk from €148 per group Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Private Old Town Walking Tour
The quickest way to understand what you are looking at. A licensed local guide adapts the route to your group — the Market Square and the Master Draught clock, the Plönlein, the castle garden, the town walls — and fills in the Free Imperial City history that the plaques never quite explain.
- A professional local guide just for your party
- Market Square, Plönlein, the walls and the hidden corners
- Pickup from your hotel or the station available
