In Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the legend of Heinrich Toppler is still alive today. He was the mayor who, at the end of the 14th century, transformed the sleepy little town into a city-state, allied with King Wenceslaus and the city's Jewish community. Who was this man who rose from the son of an innkeeper to the "King of Rothenburg"? This was at a time when the sons of farmers or craftsmen were generally expected to take over the farm or workshop. After conducting criminal investigations in the archives of Rothenburg, Nuremberg, Würzburg, and Prague, E. W. Heine has reopened the "Toppler case" and provides compelling evidence that the legend surrounding Toppler and his brutal murder needs to be corrected in certain aspects. The reconstruction of this life story will lead to a reconstruction of the entire era.