The Plönlein – Rothenburg´s landmark

Many think that the name Plönlein refers to a yellow timber-frame house at the entrance of the Spital quarter. It’s true that the tilted, crooked house is in the center of the Plönlein. The term Plönlein is actually translated as a „small square“ or “small square at a fountain”, which means that the ensemble at the Plönlein also includes the fountain in front of the lone timber-frame house and the two towers of the old city wall that rise to its left and right – on the left the Siebersturm leading to Spital quarter, on the right the tower for the Kobolzeller Tor from 1360, which opens towards the Tauber Valley.

The Plönlein is the most famous and most beautiful photo subject in Rothenburg and the landmark oft the historical town.

The Plönlein is a true international star: Many consider the timber-frame house on the Plönlein to represent a typical motif of Rothenburg’s old quarter. Starting with Walt Disney’s classic “Pinocchio” (1940), its architecture is copied by artists, architects and designers whenever they have to depict a typical medieval setting in Europe. It also appears in video games, music videos, comics and Japanese mangas („Little Snow Fairy Sugar“, 2001).