On 31 May and 1 June, the Saalburg Roman fort celebrated 20 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and organised a large Roman camp with horsemen and soldiers. We were there with our field camp and a small civilian area. Together with the 4th Vindeliker Cohort, we presented a cross-section of several hundred years of ancient artillery technology several times a day. Both groups also stood on the parade ground together with the ‘Via Romana’ group from France to demonstrate the interaction between auxiliary troops and legionnaires in battle. A particular highlight for both us and the audience was the interaction with the Roman cavalry, which was a special challenge for both man and horse.

The programme was rounded off with a variety of camp life in our military camp and our civilian area, where we successfully tried our hand at making cheese the Roman way for the first time. Even intermittent thunder showers could not dampen the spirits of us or the audience, especially as the Principia of the Saalburg provided comfortable and stylish protection from the rain.

(4.6.2025)