Murrhardt
Mithras, Monks and life on the wild frontier.
The first thing you need to realise about Murrhardt is that it’s always been on some kind of frontier - between ‘barbarism’ and ‘civilization’, between the ‘true faith’ and ‘paganism’ and between rival principalities.
Just under 50km northeast of Stuttgart, Murrhardt lies in the Schwäbischer Wald (Swabian Forest), which dominates much of this corner of Baden-Württemberg. It’s always been a wild, wooded region, difficult to penetrate and settle.
This may be one of the reasons why as the Romans progressed into what is now Germany, they ended up establishing their frontier - the Upper Germanic Limes - through here. Where the modern town lies today was once the settlement of Vicus murrensis, established to serve the needs of the troops stationed at nearby forts and watchtowers. I’ll touch on that later.
Where the Walterichskirche* stands on the hill, overlooking the town, once stood a temple, probably dedicated to the god Mithras. Worship of Mithras was brought from the east by soldiers, and is what is known as a mystery cult - members would progress through a series of degrees. All very cloak and dagger, literally!
Even after the Romans departed, this hillside would retain a reputation as a holy place. In the ninth century, a monk known as ‘Walterich*’, possibly an illegitimate son of Charlemagne, established Kloster Murrhardt in its shadow. When he died, he was interred there in the Walterichskirche.
As the monastery grew, a large Romanesque church was built - today called the Stadtkirche - and a wall and several other large buildings were constructed. The modern town soon developed around the monastery, along with several industries, including the minting of coins and glassmaking.
Pilgrims also flocked to the town after Walterich was declared a saint, often climbing to his burial site on their knees. The infirm and insane were considered to be his patronage, and prayers to him were made in hopes of his blessing. Of course, this was a huge economic boost to the town.
In the Stadtskirche (City Church), look out from the All Saints Altar, circa 1500 - the bright colours really give a sense of how a medieval church interior would have appeared - far from drab and dreary. Also, make sure you find the memorial to Abbott Emmerich. This inscription was made by the monks of the monastery in 1643, after the abbot was abducted by Protestant troops during the Thirty Years War. He died in captivity in Freiburg just months later.
The inscription reads: “On January 11, 1643, the venerable Emerich, Abbot in Murrhardt, was seized and abducted by the French, the Swedes and the Weimarers; he died on March 23 with the enemy in Freiburg im Breisgau. God have mercy on him!”
Outside of the Stadkirche, Murrhardt is well worth a wander if your camera. There are still plenty of fachwerk (half-timbered) buildings and remnants of the monastery. Of particular interest is the Hexenturm* (Witch Tower), where those accused of ‘witchcraft’ were kept in the 17th century. Today it’s in the backyard of the local kindergarten! It was also the site of the tomb of the wonderfully-named Assonius Justus, who died aged 40 stationed with Roman troops nearby.
Another wonderful local treasure is the Carl Schweizer Museum*. A private museum maintained by the same family for the last century, it focuses on local and natural history. There’s an amazing array of taxidermy and the history section is full of cabinets stuffed with an amazing variety of historical objects - including the skull of a knight, killed in a 15th century duel!
I finished my trip to Murrhardt by making the 2km hike up to the ruins of a Roman watchtower* (Google Maps link). In retrospect, perhaps, leaving it to dusk wasn’t the smartest idea, but it sure was atmospheric.
Each watchtower on the Upper Germanic Limes was manned by around eight soldiers. There was always a clear line of sight to the next tower, and torches and horns would alert the troops to any intruders. On the ground floor, they would keep and maintain their equipment and weapons, while on the top two floors they would either sleep or watch for the incursions of Germanic tribes.
This would have been a rather boring job for the most part - the frontier was much quieter and more peaceful than you’d expect. Archaeological digs at the site of watch towers in the region have revealed that the Romans posted there often hunted for meat to supplement their rations, or played games of chance - just as soldiers have done for centuries. Of course, there was also leave to look forward to. While the vicus wasn’t the most civilized place, it still had all the basics for young men far away from home.
Murrhardt is a wonderful journey through thousands of years of German history and is a keen reminder of the role of faith - either in a deity or in an Empire that spanned continents. We all want to believe in something, and it can take us to some very beautiful and far-flung places.
Address: Walterichsweg, 71540 will get you to a car park very close to the monastery. There is also a carpark very close to the Roman watchtower. Trains from Stuttgart to Murrhardt also run every hour.
You can see more of my photos of Murrhardt here.
More info:
* - Links in German
