Straubing

Pulsating life for 8,000 years: that is Straubing, the "heart of Old Bavaria", the modern old city on the Danube and the gateway to the tangibly close Bavarian Forest. During a walk through the city, you will experience colourful market hustle and bustle on Ludwigsplatz and Theresienplatz, you can enjoy Straubing's diverse gastronomy and take a stroll through history.

The world-famous "Roman Treasure Find of Straubing" in the Gaeuboden Museum, the unique Historical Cemetery of St. Peter, a model medieval town complex with outstanding churches and works of art bear witness to great history and nationwide significance. Even a work by Albrecht Dürer can be found here, the "Moses Window" in the Papal Basilica of St. Jacob.

The town square with the town's landmark, the late Gothic town tower, is not only an admirable ensemble of monuments, but also a pedestrian zone, shopping mile, place to linger and enjoy the southern flair.

Visit Straubing, experience and enjoy the unique atmosphere in the city.

The Danube border in the eastern part of the Roman province of Raetia, i.e. in eastern Bavaria, was provided with small troop camps around the middle of the 1st century AD, which served to monitor traffic on the river or also as stations for ship crews. Finds suggest that such a station was also located in Straubing on the church hill of St. Peter.

Around this time, a natural bay in Straubing was developed into a fortified harbour with a quay and several piers. A natural beach was used to repair the ships. At the same time, the western fort was built, in which a five hundred-strong cavalry force was stationed. About ten years later, the eastern fort was built. It was a second military installation intended for a thousand-man garrison. Shortly before the middle of the 2nd century AD at the latest, a partially mounted unit of one thousand men moved in there. Straubing thus became the most important Roman military site on the Eastern Roman Limes. In the first half of the 2nd century, an extensive civilian settlement developed in addition to the troop camps, in which many specialised craftsmen were active. It is estimated that about 5000 people lived in Sorviodurum at that time.

Under Emperor Antoninus Pius, i.e. around the middle of the 2nd century AD, dark clouds were gathering north of the Danube: These were the harbingers of the Marcomannic Wars. Many military installations were built in stone, including that of Sorviodurum. The Roman Sorviodurum was badly affected in the seventies of the 2nd century. Parts of the civilian settlement and the western fort were destroyed. Afterwards, new houses were built in the civilian settlement, but the western fort was no longer occupied; in the harbour, at the latest from this time onwards, only the quays were in use, the piers fell into disrepair.

This Middle Imperial settlement of Straubing comes to an end in the second half of the 3rd century AD due to civil wars and Germanic invasions. The widely famous Roman treasure find from Straubing also dates from this period. On the site of a villa not far from the forts, workers found an upturned copper cauldron with so-called parade armour in 1950. These armours include five face helmets of the Hellenistic type, three of the Oriental type. Several greaves are also preserved. Particularly splendid are horse foreheads, the armour of the horses' heads. Other weapons, religious statuettes, agricultural implements, parts of the chariot and tools complete this sensational ensemble.

However, Roman life did not end at the larger fort locations after these destructions; new late antique fortifications developed. The late antique fort is located on the church hill of St. Peter. Parts of its interior and especially the excavation trench of a wall could be excavated. Presumably the Juthungen invasion of 357/58 had a devastating effect on eastern Bavaria. Many military sites, including Straubing, were damaged, and rural life came to an almost complete standstill. The camps continued to exist well into the 5th century, but there was an increased influx of Germanic tribes. This is the exciting time when the last late antique population was absorbed into the slowly emerging tribe of the Bavarians.

Finds from Sorviodurum, the Roman town of Straubing, can be admired at the Gaeubodenmuseum Straubing (www.gaeubodenmuseum.de, Fraunhoferstr. 23, 94315 Straubing).

The museum is barrier-free, with the exception of the Pre- and Early History Department. A disabled toilet is available. In the new Early Middle Ages department, there are also display cases that can be accessed by wheelchair users, Braille and Braille reading, tactile objects and audio stations. Special guided tours can be organised if required.