Rothenburg49 Iron Maiden (Nürnberg) Original A mantle of infamy for women and girls. The wooden oak mantle is covered on the inside and outside with sheet-iron. The hand and neck ruffle were representative of 16th century women's clothing. Women were publicly displayed while wearing the iron maiden. The spikes were removed by the museum because it is our belief that they were an addition of the 19th century. Despite the earlier belief to the contrary, the iron maiden was not an instrument of death. However, it was displayed as an instrument of death in the castle of Nürnberg until 1889. Even today the iron maiden is still considered the most important instrument of past criminal law.