Medieval Treasures and Hidden Horrors in Historic Nuernberg
By Chris Riveland

At the conclusion of the city hall torture chambers guided tour I treated myself to a proper English Tea.

That city hides a dark, medieval secret. Simply enumerating Nuernberg’s superlatives would only tell a partial story, but to acknowledge her architecture and her world-famous ginger bread known as Lebkuchen is a start. Add to that the renowned Nuernberg sausages; the home of well-known painter Albrecht Duerer [The Praying Hands], the site of the well-known toy museum, and the stage for the WW II Nazi War Crimes Trials at the Palace of Justice on November 20, 1945, as well as the unique 11th century hilltop castle. Include the city’s ancient St. Sebaldus Cathedral, and one more superlative: Peter Heinlein invented the first pocket watch in Nuernberg.

Nuernberg’s lesser-known attraction is a place of shame – the infamous Lochgefaengnisse, the medieval dungeons also known as “The Hole.” They are located only a few steps from the main Market Square, on the way toward the castle. Installed in the 14th century, these vaulted cellars beneath the Old Town Hall that served as the courthouse were used as a “detention facility” for prisoners awaiting trial and punishment. Twelve small cells, 6 feet by six feet each, usually used for 2 inmates and a torture chamber reflect the grisly aspects of medieval criminal justice. Since the City Hall also served as a law court, cellar rooms were turned into the Nuremberg dungeons (Lochgefängnisse).

Visitors can view twelve cells, each an area of 6 feet by 6 feet and six feet high, often having housed two prisoners. Certain cells were reserved for particular crimes: number 11 shows a red cockerel, the symbol for arson; the black cat on number 12 would indicate slander and swindlers. The two stock cells were punishment cells. A higher room, called “The Chapel” because of its size, housed the torture chamber, indispensable for jurisdiction in those days. On its walls are replicas of gruesome torture instruments used in those days.

The dungeons were not a permanent prison, but a holding facility for people awaiting trial. Only in exceptional cases would prisoners who had been found guilty serve their sentence there. But place had a few other cells, actually only cylinders, hewn into the bedrock, barely wide enough to hold a person, with arms down on both sides of the body. I can only imagine what that must have been like – no room to do anything but barely stand.

But I needed to get my mind off ancient punishment. Savoring my high tea and thinking over what I had observed on my city tour made me wonder why I had never thought of visiting this site on my several previous trips to the city. I also wondered how many other cities known for their various acumens hide similar horror stories. Punishment during the medieval era was barbaric, gruesome, often swift, and a mighty deterrent for possible repeat offenders.

Next time I visit a world heritage site I shall make sure to inquire about the under belly, but before I do that, ferret out a pleasant café to sit and contemplate what history revealed, to the accompaniment of proper afternoon fare and a fragrant pot of tea.

~CR