In the northwest of the German state which I call home, Baden-Württemberg, you’ll find a region called Hohenlohe. Known as the ‘Swabian Tuscany’, among pockets of forest and rolling hills you’ll find some beautiful places - chief among them the Hohenlohe ‘capital’, Öhringen.
Öhringen has a very long history of occupation, even by German standards. During the time of the Roman Empire between the second and fourth centuries, it was known as Vicus Aurelianus, It was named after the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (aka the bloke in ‘Gladiator’).
A vicus was a settlement that served as a marketplace -cum-family housing-recreation district for a Roman fort. The area around Öhringen was full of these settlements, as it lay directly on the Limes, or border of the Empire. If you arrive in the town by rail, two minutes walk from the main station are the remains of a Roman bathing complex, suggesting that this was no tiny backwater. You can also thank the Romans for introducing grapes to the region.
Following the retreat of the Romans, things were quite calm in the area, with scattered bands of Alemanni tribesman occupying the area where the city stands today. It would be another five hundred years before the place entered the spotlight once again.
In the 11th century, the Bishop of Regensburg established a kirche (church) and kloster (monastery) at Öhringen, and in the 13th century temporal power over the region was given to the Hohenlohe family of knights. This was a spectacularly good deal, as the area is rich in natural resources, and the Hohenlohe family prospered immensely. They built a hospital, helping the population to grow. So great did the Hohenlohe become, that they were elevated to minor royalty.
The Stiftskirche* (collegiate church) that we see today dates from the 15th century, and was built in the Gothic style. It replaced a Romanesque predecessor - but there are still traces of the original. Walk around the side of the church and you’ll see two friendly stone lions - these are replicas of two that used to be out the front of the original church. The originals are stored in the crypt. At any rate, make sure you say hello.
Inside the church you’ll find a beautiful array of altars, stained glass and most prominently, tombs of the House of Hohenlohe. The 16th and 17th century tombs of these nobles are more than twelve foot high and extremely baroque - in exaggerated splendour, if not strictly of the artistic period. Some even remain painted, as most memorials would have been at the time.
If you’re very, very, very lucky, you may find the crypt open. There lay the sarcophagi of the Hohenlohe nobles. Again, some are quite grand in design. The oldest bones interred there are those of Adelheid of Metz, the 11th-century bishop of Regensburg’s mother, who was also mother to Konrad II, who would become Holy Roman Emperor.
Next door to the Stiftskirche, you can’t miss the Residenzschloss*. This was originally built around 1611 as a palace for Magdalena, widow of Count Wolfgang II of Hohenlohe-Welkersheim. In the 1670s Count Johann Friedrich I made it the official seat of the family, and additions were consistently added over the next few centuries. Today it’s the town hall.
After you’ve checked out the Residenzschloss, have a walk through the streets of the town. Some highlights include the Alte Rathaus (old town hall), the Hof Apotheke (the court pharmacy) and the Obere Tor (or upper gate). The former two have some stunning wooden carvings from the 18th century.
Before I close, just an observation. As a student of local history, I’d learned that the entire Hohenlohe area had a (historical) reputation for banditry. Trade routes crossed the area and such fearsome gangs as the Mainhardter Räuber* (Mainhardt Robbers) were a frequent danger to traders and travellers passing through the region.
Indeed, at points in the 18th century, the region was considered completely lawless outside the cities. It took the House of Hohenlohe putting their foot down and having robber bands decapitated, their heads placed on display, to restore order.
Still, there are a lot of winding roads and dark forests out there. All I’m saying is, keep your windows wound up.
Wanna see more of my photos from Öhringen?
Address: Hunnenstraße 24, 74613 will get you to a car park close to the centre of the old town, and the way to the old town is signposted - less than three minutes away.
From Heilbronn Hauptbahnhof, catch the S4 in the direction of Ohringen-Cappel, Disembark at Öhringen station, and the old town is a signposted five minutes walk.
More info:
*-Links in German