M: For a region largely characterised by half-timbered houses, a stately manor house in the Baroque style like the Rothenburg Administration Building is very unusual. We’d like to tell you the building’s secret.
F: The town of Oberstetten is very old. It was first mentioned in local records in around 800 AD. After 1421, Oberstetten was part of the imperial city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, and for a long time existed as a Rothenburg island surrounded by the county of Hohenlohe.
M: This stately Administration Building was erected in 1769 to showcase the wealth and power of Rothenburg, an imperial city. There’s a stone panel above the second floor, where you can still read the Latin inscription that commemorates the laying of the first stone.
F: For more than four decades, the building served as one of the imperial city’s administration centres. But in 1810, Oberstetten became part of the Kingdom of Württemberg. The building lost its purpose as a seat of local government and was sold to one Peter Habel, who proudly added his own name above the entrance. The three guild signs next to and below his name informed visitors that this was now an inn serving food and drink.
M: The bull's head with the cleavers is the guild sign of the butchers, while the pretzel is the bakers’ sign. And of course, beer was also served. The brewer's star with mash fork, malt scoop and beer tumbler is the emblem of the guild of brewers and maltsters.
F: In the mid-1980s, the building was thoroughly refurbished by the local authority and now once again serves as an administration centre, since Oberstetten is now part of Niederstetten. Incidentally, the upper floor includes a space for theatre performances.
Fotos: © Trüpschuch
