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.
The first excavations took place just before WWII and were not continued until 1958-1979 with a complete and thorough excavation campaign. In 1987, a beautiful archaeological open air museum opened here, now surrounded by the green of the Kyffhäuser natural park. Every now and then, new buildings are added.
The archaeological open air museum tells the story of the tenth-century imperial residence of Otto II – with some stone remnants still in place and large parts of the residence reconstructed, like houses, earthworks and towers. Many tools to construct dwellings with are reconstructed and shown, just like sieging weapons. The palace is frequented by living history groups with special attention to the Imperial Encampment (Kaiserslager).
