Kirchröttenbach is a part of the municipality of Schnaittach in the district of Nürnberger Land (Middle Franconia, Bavaria).
The parish village is located about 20 km northeast of Nuremberg, directly on the border with the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt. Neighboring towns are Illhof, Freiröttenbach, Germersberg, Laipersdorf and Herpersdorf.
The village of "Rotenbach" was first mentioned in documents around 1054, and has been called Kirchröttenbach since around 1500. The Röttenbach stream, which rises 2 km northeast of the village, gave the village its name. It flows via Großbellhofen into the Pegnitz (river). The first church was probably built before the founding of the Bamberg diocese, i.e. before 1007, as it was dedicated to Saint Walburga. Around 1500, the church formed a fortified church fortress. The Calvary with a cross chapel and Stations of the Cross was built in 1746. In the 18th century, the place was a popular pilgrimage site. The rural settlement was under the jurisdiction of the Rothenberg High Court district at the time.
The formerly independent municipality of Kirchröttenbach was incorporated into Schnaittach in 1972 as part of the municipal reform.
The settlement area has grown considerably since then due to extensive building area designation. Small and medium-sized businesses have settled here. Kirchröttenbach is predominantly rural in character.