which once stood a castle. From these, the town got its name. The linden sprig comes from old guild seals, which bore a cloverleaf and a star. From this arose the linden sprig, which was adopted as a charge in the town's arms, putting the coat of arms in the “North Hesse Cloverleaf Arms Family” along with Kassel and Felsberg. The first example of the arms now valid in the town was in the Knights’ Hall (Rittersaal), which was torn down in the late 18th century. The first examples on mediaeval town seals show a saint bearing a palm frond before a town gate. It most likely was meant to be the town's patron saint, James the Elder. Town partnerships Argentan, Orne, France since 1976 Gedling, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom since 1978 Rothenburg, Lucerne, Switzerland since 1988 There are friendship relations with the following towns: Rotenburg an der Wümme, Lower Saxony Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria Rothenburg, Saxony-Anhalt Rothenburg, Saxony Czerwieńsk, Lubusz Voivodeship, Poland (formerly Rothenburg an der Oder) Culture and sightseeing Museums Kreisheimatmuseum Rotenburg (district history) Puppen- und Spielzeugmuseum (puppets and toys) Memorial and meeting place: the former mikvah Buildings The most important sights in the town are these following: Schloss Rotenburg, built in Renaissance style between 1570 and 1607, remodelled about 1790, today houses the Hesse State Financial School, includes preserved side building and palace park. Town Hall, built in 1597–1598 and remodelled in the Baroque period; on 23 September 1637 the town was burnt down by Colonel Isolani's people. The statue of Saint James at the Town Hall “fell crashing onto the marketplace and burst asunder” (according to the chronicler). Saint James's Parish Church Saint Elizabeth and Mary Monastery Church in the New Town, built beginning in 1370, crypt of the Landgraves of Hesse. Only Landgrave Moritz the Learned's son, Hermann, the first Quartfürst of Hesse-Rotenburg is buried here next to his consort Kunigunde Juliane of Anhalt-Zerbst. From this princely house also sprang Russian Tsaritsa Catherine the Great. On the Alter Turm (mountain, 418.1 m above sea level) are hidden the ruins of Rodenberg Castle (from about 1150). On the Fulda is found an old lock from the 17th century. The mikvah, the former Jewish community's ritual bath, since 2006 a memorial and meeting place and Jewish Museum. There are two websites with extensive information, www.mikwe.de and www.hassia-Judaica.de. Rotenburg further has other historic churches and interesting houses.