Lochgefängnisse (Medieval Dungeons)  

In 1322, Nuremberg, the Free City of the Empire, purchased the bread house on Salt Market which belonged to the monastery of Heilsbronn, and proceeded to transform it into their City Hall. Since the City Hall also served as a law court, existing cellar rooms were turned into the Nuremberg dungeons (Lochgefängnisse).

Today, twelve cells can be seen, which have an area of two metres in length, width and height and often housed two prisoners. Obviously, certain cells were reserved for particular crimes: number 11 shows a red cockerel, the symbol for arson, and the black cat on number 12 would indicate slander. The two stock cells were punishment cells.

A higher room, called "The Chapel" because of its size, housed the torture chamber, indispensable for jurisdiction in those days.

The dungeons were not a permanent prison, but a prison for people awaiting trial. Only in exceptional cases, prisoners who had been found guilty also served their sentence here.