St. Wolfgang

The former church of the Shepherds’ Brotherhood now serves as the protected evangelical Lutheran church of St Wolfgang. It stands on the Klingentorbastei in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a town in the Ansbach district of Mittelfranken. The building is listed as a monument under number D-5-71-193-341. Its patron saint is Wolfgang of Regensburg.

The rectangular church was built between 1475 and 1493 above the casemates of the Klingentorbastei. The nave has a star vault and the choir a net vault. A square lantern tower rises from the eastern roof of the nave. Inside, a relief shows a crucifixion group above a niche containing a seated statue of Saint Wolfgang. The high altar of 1514 shows the bishop flanked by the plague saints Sebastian and Roch, with four painted wings depicting scenes from Wolfgang’s life.

The north side holds a Madonna altar with a crowned Virgin and Child, its wings illustrating events from her life. Opposite stands the Wendelin altar, donated by the Shepherds’ Brotherhood. It shows the saint in pilgrim dress holding a shepherd’s crook and horn, with the brotherhood’s coat of arms at his feet. The pulpit and gallery date from the late 17th century.