Giambattista Pittoni (Kreuzaufnahme, Armenspeisung durch die heilige Elisabeth). The crypt below the church is the burial site of the order's grand masters. For around 200 years the Schlosskirche has been a Protestant church. Other sights The sacristy of the Marienkirche (finished in 1388) features frescos made in 1300-10 by the monk Rudolfus. This was formerly the church of a Dominican monastery. The cloister has a fresco from 1486 showing a Visitation that depicts an embryo inside the body of Mary. The church also contains the epitaph of Walther von Cronberg, the first Mergentheim Grand Master. Modelled in 1539, probably by Hans Vischer, it was taken to Monrepos at Ludwigsburg in 1809, when Mergentheim became part of the Kingdom of Württemberg. In 1853, the statue was restored to this church. Demographics Governance Town twinning Bad Mergentheim is twinned with: Digne-les-Bains, France Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche, France Fuefuki, Yamanashi, Japan Borgomanero, Italy Infrastructure Löffelstelzen Transmitter German Diabetes Center Mergentheim Notable people Heinrich von Hohenlohe (died 1249), buried in the church in Mergentheim Johann Friedrich Mayer (agriculturist) (1719–1798), priest and agricultural reformer ("Plaster Apostle") Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), was viola player in the court's musical establishment of the Hochmeister (Grand Master) of the Teutonic Knights, Maximilian Franz of Austria in 1791 Carl Arnold (1794–1873), composer and pianist (1814–1872), Protestant pastor and Württemberg local historian Eduard Mörike (1804–1875), German poet, lived in Mergentheim from 1844–1851 Fritz Keller (1850–1923), member of parliament, president of the Württemberg Forest Office Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf (1852–1925), Austro-Hungarian Field Marshall from 1871–1918, died in Mergentheim Ottmar Mergenthaler (1854–1899), inventor of the Linotype Edvard Hjelt (1855–1921), Finnish chemist and politician, died in Mergentheim Felix Fechenbach (1894–1933), German Jewish journalist, poet and political activist, who was murdered by the Nazis (born 1944), writer, children's and youth book author (Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis 1984) Barbara Stamm (born 1944), politician CSU, President of the Bavarian Parliament Fritz Kuhn (born 1955), mayor of Stuttgart, former Member of Parliament and former national chairman of the Greens (born 1963), cook, awarded one star in the Michelin Martin Lanig (born 1984), football player Carolin Golubytskyi (born 1985), foil fencer Atilla Yildirim (born 1990), Dutch-Turkish football player Florian Ruck (born 1992), football player Valentin Kluss (born 2007), racing driver See also Wildpark Bad Mergentheim References Castles of the Teutonic Knights Spa towns in Germany Main-Tauber-Kreis Historic Jewish communities Franconian Circle Württemberg