With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Groundbreaking exhibit on historic German-Roman battle opens

The exhibition is spread over three sites in Detmold, Kalkriese and Haltern and organizers are expecting more than half a million visitors by fall.

The joint project is called "Imperium Conflict Myth" and the exhibits will take visitors back 2000 years, to when an alliance of Germanic tribes annihilated three elite Roman Legions in the famous so-called Battle of Teutoburg, or Varus Battle.

Battle prevented Germany's full romanization

This may seem too long ago to be of any significance today, but some historians say the defeat in 9 AD prevented a full romanization of Germany and arguably altered the course of Roman, German and European history.

As a result of the Roman defeat, Germany was never incorporated into the Empire, which had repercussions on language culture and the development of future statehood. Prior to the battle, the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar was intent on military expansion across the Rhine River and into central and northern Europe.

The battle induced Rome to withdraw back to the Rhine, which became the new frontier between the "civilized" and the "barbaric" world. In later centuries, Germany became a base for barbarian incursions which ultimately brought down the empire...
Read entire article at Deutsche Welle