The Roman battle at the Harzhorn

Find of the century

When in summer 2008 two hobby archaeologists brought several artefacts they had
unearthed years ago in a forest at the Harzhorn to the Northeim county
archaeologist, it turned out to be the starting point of a sensational discovery both
historically and archaeologically.

What at first seemed quite unbelievable was quickly confirmed: the artefacts
spearheads, bolts, a hipposandal, a pioneer’s spade were clearly of Roman origin!
Unbeknown to the public, the Northeim county archaeologist and the
“Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege” (a government agency for
heritage conservation) began exploring the area - with astonishing success!
More than 1800 mainly military artefacts attest to the fierce battle between the
Romans and the Germans in the 3rd century AD that took place at the Harzhorn!

Rome’s forgotten campaign

This discovery shows that there was a dramatic incident involving Germans and
Romans more than 200 years after the crushing defeat of the Roman general Varus
at the hands of the Germanic leader Arminius at Kalkriese in 9AD and the campaigns
of general Germanicus to avenge Varus from 14 to 16AD. A superior Roman force of
at least 1000 men (probably more) including infantry, cavalry and artillery brought the
fight deep into the heart of free Germania. Archaeologists are now able to confirm
this historical event which was hardly mentioned in historical sources. This makes the
newly found battlefield a find so spectacular that it may put into question our current
perception of Roman and German history.

Guided tours at the Harzhorn

What did the weapons of that time look like?
Why did the Germans pick the Harzhorn for their battlefield?
How do we know when the battle took place?
Who was victorious?

At the original battle site the Harzhorn Guides make the historical battle come alive
by explaining the historical background, describing the battle and last but not least
showing pictures and replicas of original artefacts.

Tour booking

Regular tours take place between April and October, group tours are available
throughout the year. A tour lasts approx. 2 hours.

Bookings may be made at the Tourist Information offices in Bad Gandersheim
(Stiftsfreiheit 12, 37581 Bad Gandersheim. Tel. +49 5382 73700, Fax. +49 5382
73770, E-Mail tourist@bad-gandersheim.de)

Prices:
Adults (4 Euro)
Children under 14 (2,50 Euro)
Groups min. 10, max. 20 persons (3,50 Euro per person)
Payment may be made at the Tourist Information offices or to the guide.

How to find us

From Hannover: take autobahn A7 to Exit 67 (Seesen), turn right onto B248 towards Northeim. After approx. 6 km you will reach Ildehausen. 3 km further on turn right into the forest road. The historical site is sign-posted.

From Kassel: take autobahn A7 to Exit 68 (Echte), turn left onto B445 towards Echte, and then onto the B248 towards Seesen. After approx. 6 km you will reach Oldenrode. On exiting Oldenrode turn left into the forest road. The historical site is sign-posted.

Text: Christine Gust