An den Grenzen des Reiches

Accompanying volume to the exhibition at the LVR-Römermuseum - Archäologischer Park Xanten (May 16 to September 7, 2014). Even after the devastating defeat of the Romans in the Teutoburg Forest and the establishment of the Rhine as the border of the Roman Empire, the Fürstenberg remained a central scene of Roman power with approximately 10,000 soldiers stationed there. Excavations were carried out in this largest military camp of the Roman Empire as early as 1900. They were part of the general enthusiasm for archaeology at the time. Between admiration for the self-assertion of the Germanic tribes, who were glorified as ancestors, and respect for the discipline and civilization of the Romans, archaeology in the Wilhelmine era found it difficult to decide. Away from the increasing nationalist ideology of history, this catalog also focuses on the people who took part in the excavations, their lives, and their everyday work 100 years ago. Richly illustrated with old photographs, original finds, contemporary documents, and models, this volume brings to life an era and its archaeology on the eve of the First World War.