Buildings
- Town Hall and Museum: This former castle of the Grafen (Earls) of Lauffen was built in the 11th century. Destroyed during the Thirty Years' War, it was rebuilt after 1648 as the seat of the governor. The castle’s Roman keep survives. The structure has served as the town hall from 1818 and has since been subject to frequent alterations. The town's museum in the convent yard was rebuilt in 1923 from the remains of the previous convent church. It is now the home of exhibitions devoted to the history of Lauffen and Friedrich Hölderlin.
*Regiswindis Church: The rebuilding of the church in its present form was well underway by 1567 after a fire had destroyed all but the choir three years previously. The church dates from 1227, when it was dedicated to Saint Regiswindis, but previous structures (St Martin’s Church) date back to 741. Fragments of a Mount of Olives painting C 1507 by Hans Seyfer survive on the exterior of the choir.
Regiswindis Chapel: Originally a graveyard chapel dedicated to Saint Ann, its crypt served as a charnel house. In 1901, the piles of bones were collected and buried. The stone sarcophagus containing the remains of Regiswindis were transferred to the chapel in 1882, at which point the building acquired its present name.
*There are many historic buildings in the town centre, including dwellings in the baroque style dating from the 18th century, and those associated with the Kirchberg, which include an old bake house. The curious Grabengasse (moat lane) winds its way by the Kirchberg. This lane is part of the town’s original moat which has been overbuilt with timber-framed houses. At one time it was the route for river traffic, which included even motorised craft.
- The pedestrianised area known as Städtle is also worth a visit. This consists mainly of well preserved 15th century houses built in the traditional timber-framed style. Significant are the Erkerhaus (bay-fronted house), the Alte Kelter (old winery) the Vogtshof (governor’s residence) as well as the town wall with its two gates – the 13th century Heilbronner Tor (Heilbronn Gate) and the Neues Heilbronner Tor (New Heilbronn Gate) and the Gefängnisturm (Gaol tower), both of which date from 1772.
- The Martinskirche (Martin's Church) in the Lauffen-Stadt district, erroneously named thus since the middle of the 19th century, was built in honour of St Nicholas in around 1200. Not an independent church, it was ministered by priests from Lauffen-Dorf. Following the Reformation the chapel fell into disrepair and became a store for hay and oats. The Martinskirche was renovated in 1883/4, badly damaged during the Second World War but renovated yet again in 1949 and 1977/78. This chapel, with its single nave, has been used for services since 1978. In 1977/78, several layers of wall paintings were discovered during renovation work.
- The Lauffener Rustica Villa is located out of town on the road to Ilsfeld. This Roman villa was excavated in 1978 and has been partially restored. Also on the Ilsfeld road can be seen the remains of the Württemberg Landgraben (defensive moat) and the Landturm (tower), which was formerly a customs post.
Read more about this topic: Lauffen Am Neckar
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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—Margaret Halsey (b. 1910)