Battlefield Travel - Exklusive militär-historische Reisen

Armin the Cherusci vs Varus

Almost two thousand years ago a battle happened at Kalkriese in the Osnabrück country, which represents a great importance for the history of the modern Germany since then. With the Cherusci Arminius a historical personality entered the world stage which mutated to the first German hero of the 19th century in Germany.
The site of theVarus Battle is a prime example of modern archaeology today. The area, the museum and the appropriate outlook tower which offers a fantastic panorama over the battlefield are the stage for a time travel. Lieutenant-Colonel Jürgen Conte is the perfect battlefield guide to make the battle come alive. On top of that his explanations about the Roman age, the excursion in modern archaeology and the proof to the theatre Kalkriese do not leave any questions open.

Historical background

Already Gaius Iulius Caesar endeavoured to force the Teutons under the Roman yoke in 55 and 53 BC. It did not get any further than a few attempts. The Rhine formed the frontier of the Roman Empire to the country of the barbarians.
This frontier was, however, largely unprotected. The Romans relied on their perfect fully developed road network to be able to transfer troops immediately to the focal points in the case of an attack. They hoped with that to be prepared for all eventualities.
The Teutons recognized this as a weak point and used it for numerous attacks. Emperor Augustus decided on the fortification of the frontier by erection of various small forts and ordered ventures into the inside of Germania. Up to the year 5 A.C. Rome was under the impression to be the ruler of Germania. The reality looked different because only the actually occupied areas could be looked at as pacified. There where the Romans retreated, Germanic Tribes immediately filled the vacuum.
Publius Quinctillius Varus took on the administration of Germania in 9 A.C. with the task of transforming the country into a Roman province. In the late summer of 7 A.C., Varus was on the march back into the winter quarters with three task forces including the supply lines of the 17th, 18th and 19th Legion as well as in company of the Cherusci Prince Arminius. Arminius had turned a rebel from a mercenary this year and lured Varus to a detour to a supposed rebellious territory.
It was at Kalkriese a narrow-ness then between a gigantic bog and rough mountain area, the Teutons hit hard. More than 20 000 Romans were cut down over a period of three days. Prisoners were butchered, the Legions ensigns, the Eagles, captured. Only years later, in 15 A.C. Germanicus buried the remains of Varus army which rotted since the fighting.