Rottweil

Rottweil

Rottweil is located in the south-west of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. For almost 600 years, Rottweil was a free imperial town. Situated between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alps, the town is renowned for its medieval center and its traditional carnival. It is Baden-Württemberg's oldest town, and since the 16th century its image has changed little. Founded by the Romans in 73 AD as Arae Flaviae, Rottweil became a municipium, but traces of human settlement date back to 2000 BC. There are Roman baths and an Orpheus mosaic from around 180 AD dating from the Roman settlement. Before 771, the present city was a ducal and royal court, and became a free imperial city in 1268. During the Rottweil Witch Hunts between 1546 and 1661, 266 alleged witches, wizards and magicians were sentenced to death in the imperial city of Rottweil. The town council formally apologized some 400 years after their brutal deaths. The city's landmarks include the late Romanesque and Gothic-era Münster Heiliges Kreuz, built over an existing church dating from 1270, the Kapellenkirche a Gothic church and Saint Pelagius, a Romanesque church from the 12th century. The Rottweiler dog breed is named after the town. During the Middle Ages, in the town of Rottweil, these dogs began to be crossed with local shepherd dogs. This gave rise to the so-called Rottweiler Butcher Dogs, which were used to herd cattle for slaughter. Although still used to herd animals in many places around the world, Rottweilers are now being used as search and rescue dogs, guard dogs and police dogs.