St Jakob is the main church of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a tall Gothic church whose two slightly different towers rise above the medieval rooftops just north of the market square. It took more than 170 years to build, and its west end straddles a street on an arch. Inside, up a staircase in that west end, is one of the great works of German wood carving: Tilman Riemenschneider's Holy Blood Altarpiece.
St Jakob at a glance
- Where: Klostergasse, a couple of minutes' walk north-west of the Marktplatz and the Town Hall.
- Built: 1311 to 1484, consecrated in 1485.
- What it is today: the Lutheran parish church of Rothenburg (Protestant since the Reformation was introduced in 1544), open to visitors outside service times.
- Highlights: the Holy Blood Altarpiece by Tilman Riemenschneider, the Twelve Apostles high altar of 1466 and medieval stained glass in the east choir.
- Time needed: 30 to 45 minutes.
A church that bridges a street
Building began in 1311 with the east choir, finished in 1322; the nave followed between 1373 and 1436, and finally the west choir was added between 1453 and 1471. Space inside the town walls was tight, so the west choir was built on a vaulted passage over the street, which still runs underneath it. The church was consecrated in 1485 and dedicated to Saint James the Greater; it stood on a pilgrim route towards Santiago de Compostela, and pilgrims' scallop shells still appear around town.
In 1525, during the Peasants' War, the rebel leader Florian Geyer is recorded as reading out the peasants' demands in the church. The town adopted the Reformation in 1544, and St Jakob became Lutheran, but it kept its Catholic altarpieces, which is why they survive so well. Between 2005 and 2011 the whole church was thoroughly restored.
What to look for
- The Holy Blood Altarpiece: carved by Riemenschneider around 1500–1505 for a relic said to contain a drop of Christ's blood, kept in a rock-crystal capsule in the cross at the top (made around 1270).
- Judas at the centre: in the Last Supper scene, the central figure is not Jesus but Judas, an unusual choice; notice also how alike their faces are.
- The Twelve Apostles Altar: the high altar of 1466 in the east choir, with paintings by Friedrich Herlin; the back of its wings shows the oldest known view of Rothenburg.
- The stained glass: three tall windows in the east choir from about 1350 to 1400, with scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
- The two towers: from outside, compare them; the north tower is about 57.7 metres high, the south tower about 55.2 metres.
The light behind the Last Supper
Riemenschneider did something new with the Holy Blood Altarpiece: he left the wood unpainted and opened the back of the shrine to the windows behind, so that daylight shines through the scene and changes with the time of day. The figure of Judas can be lifted out; behind him, the apostle John lies asleep with his head on his arms. On the wings you see Christ's entry into Jerusalem on one side and the Mount of Olives on the other. Try to visit when the sun is on the west windows to see the effect.
Tips for your visit
- Climb the stairs to the west gallery first, then come back down to see the high altar in the east choir at the other end of the long nave.
- Afternoon light through the west windows shows off the Holy Blood Altarpiece best.
- Look out for organ concerts on the large Rieger organ of 1968, which has around 5,500 pipes.
- Walk under the west choir along Klingengasse to see how the church bridges the street.
Nearby
- Marktplatz and Town Hall: the main square with the Renaissance town hall and the councillors' tavern clock, a couple of minutes away.
- Plönlein: the famous little fork in the road with a half-timbered house between two gate towers, about ten minutes' walk south.
- Burggarten: the castle garden on a spur above the Tauber valley, with wide views over the countryside.
- St Wolfgang's Church: a fortified church built into the town wall by the Klingentor, a few minutes' walk north-west.
See Rothenburg ob der Tauber with World City Trail
Our Rothenburg ob der Tauber scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 21 minutes of walking. St Jakob is one of the stops, along with St Wolfgang's Church and the Town Hall.
If you prefer a different format, Rothenburg ob der Tauber also has a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game.
Play the Rothenburg ob der Tauber scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Rothenburg ob der Tauber →
Play the outdoor escape game in Rothenburg ob der Tauber →
Facts checked in October 2026.