Aalen

Around the year 160 C.E., as part of the final relocation of the Western Raetian Limes, the Romans built the cavalry fort in what is now Aalen. Thanks to its strategically favorable location, this measure facilitated both the control of the Limes and the securing of the trade routes between the Neckar and the Nördlinger Ries, as well as southward toward the Kocher and Brenz valleys. Home to the Ala II Flavia, the fort housed a powerful and highly mobile cavalry unit composed of auxiliary troops numbering 1,000 men (Ala miliaria), which had previously been stationed in Heidenheim an der Brenz and whose mission was to monitor the border and intercept enemy forces in the hinterland of the Limes. As one of only seven alae miliariae in the entire empire, the unit consisted of elite cavalrymen with special skills and was also attractive to aspiring members of the Roman equestrian class, for whom command of such a cavalry unit represented the highest military position (praefectus alae) attainable in their career path. 

With an area of 6 ha and dimensions of 277 m by 214 m, the Aalen Cavalry Fort is the largest of its kind north of the Alps. The four gates featured double passageways, and in addition to the four corner towers, the fort’s fortifications included twelve additional intermediate towers. The interior layout followed the typical plan for Roman military camps. Thus, the majority of the barracks for the cavalry were located in the front section of the fort (praetentura), while the functional buildings were likely confined to the rear area (retentura). At the heart of the fort stood the largest command building (principia) on the entire Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes, from which the entire region was administered. 

The Limes Museum in Aalen is a branch of the State Archaeological Museum and one of the most important Roman museums in Germany. The largest museum at the Limes UNESCO World Heritage Site in southern Germany is located on the grounds of what was once the largest Roman cavalry fort north of the Alps, covering an area of 6 hectares. The foundations of its command building can still be viewed today in the museum’s Archaeological Park. Another highlight is the replica of a Roman soldiers’ barracks.

The museum provides comprehensive information on the Roman ideology of rule, the structure and armament of the Limes troops, the Limes forts in present-day Baden-Württemberg, and the civilian settlements in the hinterland. The large number of original archaeological artifacts, informative texts and graphics, as well as numerous models, convey a vivid and lively picture of the lives of soldiers and civilians along the Limes.

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