In the year 1060, when the place Roth was mentioned in documents for the first time, when Bishop Gundekar of Eichstätt consecrated a church at “Rote”. On the occasion of the consecration of a church by Bishop Gundekar II, Roth was first mentioned in records in 1060.

The market place came into being in the 12th century as part of a scheduled planning of a market.

Ever since the 14th century Roth has been a town.

Beginning in the year 1535, the margraves, one branch of the Hohenzollern, were building Castle Ratibor in the southwestern corner of the town, which was serving as a hunting castle and simultaneously as a seat of the “Oberamt” of the Margrave Administration, too. With the abdication of the last margrave, the principality fell to the Prussian administration. In 1806, the new Kingdom of Bavaria annexed it.

Industrialization in Roth started even before 1800 with the sale of the castle to the factory owner Stieber. Stieber produced Leoni ware, i.e. thin wires turned into gold and silverplated threads and their products.

Due to the railway access in 1849, this traditional industry started flourishing. A series of similar, small firms or related industries (Christmas tree decorations, foils, cables) were founded. Some of those firms are producing still today.

For some time, Roth had the title of “the most industrial small town of Bavaria”. You can see the most important sights on the Historical Tour on foot.