Location: Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:
My wife once asked me why I loved photographing churches. My reply to her was that I photographed not just churches, but most of the religious places, especially those which are historically rich in value and pleasing in aesthetics and architecture. To most people one church is no more different from another. For me however they each tell a different story. The stained glass weaves biblical lore and the spires, from the ornate to the simplistic, project the architect’s pride and dreams. St James’s Church in Rothenburg, one of its most important, is so similar yet so different.
Within the halls of St James's Church however were more artistic wonders for my camera to feast upon. The stain glass windows were mesmerizing as usual, telling biblical lore though the shifting lights of the sun. An onyx black wood carving became the center of my focus - the curiously named Christmas Boat's rowers looked up at me while frozen in mid-row, an eeriness accentuated by the blank look and oversized heads. These rowers were Africans, their features tellingly obvious and the explanation plaque besides the artwork further elaborated this as a gift of partnership from Partner-Deanery of Hai/Kilimanjaro of Tanzania. The dark wood was ebony, claimed as a difficult material to handle.
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| Christmas Boat |
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| Trumpeter |
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| Blank looks |
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| Stain glass 1 |
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| Stain glass 2 |
I made my way to the main altar to marvel at the gilded Twelve Apostles Altar, a work by Friedrich Herlin adorning the most important place of the church. Despite the eye-catching golden frame of the artwork, it was not the most treasured within the church - that honor belonged to Tilman Riemenschneider's Holy Blood altarpiece. Produced between 1199 and 1505, his work had survived 700 years of history to present one of his finest work, depicting the Last Supper on the shrine, Mount of Olives on the left wing, and scenes of entry into Jeruselam on the right. Compared to the former, this priceless work was dull and ignored.
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| Organ |
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| Artwork |
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| Details |
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| Wooden |
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| Bedridden |
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| Nave |
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| Main altar |
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| Twelve Apostles |
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| Heaven geometries |
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| Holy Blood altarpiece |
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| Reaching up from the back of the altarpiece |
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| Cross |
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| Last Supper |
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| Magnificence |
St James's Church, whilst cavernous, would not take up much of a visitor's time. For art appreciators and history buffs, both of which I claim myself to be slightly associated, it is well worth a visit to get a whiff of the sense of beauty as defined by the Germans of the past but for curious travelers this is a place that could be deprioritized in a to-do list. This is especially true for a selfie addict.
Environment: A historic church in an old town
Suitable for: History buffs, church appreciators, religious
Visit worthiness: 6/10 (can be skipped if you are running out of time)
Historical value: 3.5/5.0
Architectural value: 2.5/5.0
Photographic value: 3.0/5.0
Landmark value: 3.5/5.0
Entrance Fee: €2 (general), €0.50 (students)
Opening Hours: (Apr - Oct) 9.00 a.m. - 5.15 p.m.
(Nov, Jan - Mar) 10.00 a.m. - 12.00 p.m., 2.00 p.m. - 4.00 p.m.
(Dec) 10.00 a.m. - 4.45 p.m.
Best Moment to Visit: Anytime of the day, daylight hours better
Length of Visit: 1 hour
Address: Evangel.-Luth. Pfarramt u. Dekanat St Jakob, Klostergasse 15, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany.
Source:
- Wikipedia - St. James's Church, Rothenburg ob der Tauber
- http://www.tourismus.rothenburg.de/
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