Germany

The village Köngen is situated at an old route, already used in the Iron Age and leading from Speyer to Augsburg. More clear than any other, Romans have left their mark at Köngen, with a small military camp (a castellum) known by the name Grinario.

Between Kelheim and Dietfurt, you will find the Archaeology Park Altmühltal (APA). While preparing for the construction of the Main-Donau channel, over the years 1976-1991 the lower valley was intensively researched on archaeological remains. The fascinating finds can now be found in three nearby archaeological museums.

In the first century AD, a Roman Villa Rustica was constructed at Hechingen-Stein. It remained functioning for 200 years. In 1973, traces of the forgotten villa were discovered by the mayor of Stein, Gerd Schollian in the Teufelbach forrest. The Landesdenkmalamt Thübingen excavated over the years 1987 – 1981 the main buildings and the baths. Since 1992 new excavations took place uncovering among others the temple.

The idea for the „Slawenburg Raddusch” with the exhibition about archaeology in the area of lignite mining in Lower Lusatia was suggested by the Landesamt für Bodendenkmalpflege und Archäologischem Landesmuseum (BLDAM) itself.

The Donnersberg has been an important Celtic oppidum north of the Alps, at 678 metres above sea level. The remains are still visible, and at a neighbouring hilltop, a village with six houses and a fortification has been constructed in 2004 the way it could have been like in the Iron Age.

The Celtic Village Gabreta is as an advertising for an organisation with a school for the enumployed, called “bfz - Berufliche Fortbildungszentren der Bayerischen Wirtschaft, GmbH”.

In 1990, the middle point of Germany was being calculated – it happened to be in the area of three municipalities: Oberdorla, Niederdorla and Langula. This sounded like a good occasion to attract tourists.

Already for a long period of time, the Naturhistorische Gesellschaft Nürnberg e.V. (NHG), has been active in the region of the municipality Roth with many excavations showing the continuous habitation of the region since Neolithic times.

The imperial palace at Tilleda was in service from the 9th until 13th century, housing several kings and emperors. At present, it is the most completely excavated example in Germany.

It was not until the end of WWII, when archaeologists and historians got more attention to the Slavonic past of this part of Europe. Mecklenburg was at that time part of East Germany and near the Sternberg, professor Schuldt unearthed wooden structures dating to the 9th and 10th century AD which included parts of a wooden fortress and temple area.