Medieval Dungeons
Rathausplatz 2 , 90403 Nürnberg
The dungeons are found in the cellar vaults of the Old Town Hall. They were set up in the 14th c. to serve as cells for prisoners awaiting trial or in custody until their execution. The dungeons were used by the city of Nuremberg in the Middle Ages as a remand prison, The floor, ceilings and walls are lined with wooden panels. They were furnished with a bed, bench, a board as a table and a heating basin in the window. Certain offenders, such as arsonists or slanderers, were kept in the dungeons in specially marked cells. The so-called chapel was used as a torture to extract confessions. The method of torture was decided by the municipal court, which met in the large room of the old town hall.
Key facts:
- located in the vaulted cellars of the Historical City Hall
- have been used since the 14th century for the examination and custody of prisoners until their sentences were carried out
- the prisoners had to spend the time until they were sentenced in complete darkness
- prisoners had to pay for their own room and board
Medieval Dungeons:
5 things, you should know about.- Prisoners in the dungeons had to pay for their own room and board and medical care.
- The well-off could afford better standards in the dungeon.
- The poor in the dungeon were cared for by the alms foundation of the city of Nuremberg.
- Doctors could ask for a transfer to a prison tower, which was a healthier environment.
- Torture of the accused was not forbidden in Bavaria until 1813.
