Römermuseum Obernburg

About the museum

Obernburg am Main was part of the Roman frontier system: here the Main formed the empire's border as the "wet Limes," and from 107 AD a cohort fort was built, over which the old town now lies. Because alluvial clay thickly covered the remains after the Roman era, they are unusually well preserved – the town therefore advertises itself with the nickname "Pompeii on the Main." Between 2000 and 2007, a station of the beneficiarii, officials of the governor, was excavated, whose votive altars are unique as a find complex in the entire empire; most of these finds are now in the Archäologische Staatssammlung München.

The municipal Römermuseum on Untere Wallstraße below the old town mainly displays finds from the fort and the military village. A city model introduces the topography of the Roman era, and the ground floor holds a stone collection with inscriptions, including six votive stones of beneficiarii from a 1954 excavation, the building inscription of the headquarters building, and parts of Jupiter Giant Columns. In the cellar, a Mithras stone is staged; the mezzanine deals with the cult of gods and the dead, and the upper floor with everyday objects such as tools, fibulae, pottery, and coins.

Plans for a large central Main Limes museum were rejected by citizens in a 2009 referendum. Instead, the existing building was remodeled with funding and expanded with offerings for children. A separate area shows the Richelbach track slab with roughly 247-million-year-old traces of archosaurs, the first known dinosaur tracks in the Miltenberg district.

Highlights

• Votive stones of the beneficiarii from Obernburg
• Building inscription from the headquarters building of the cohort fort
• Mithras stone with a recreated sanctuary in the cellar
• Late Roman glass bowl with early Christian motifs
• Richelbach track slab with 247-million-year-old dinosaur tracks
• Replica of a Jupiter Giant Column in front of the museum

Permanent exhibitions

• Römisches Obernburg – Stone monuments, inscriptions, and everyday finds from the fort and military village show life on the Roman frontier on the Main, from the cult of gods and the dead to the administration of the beneficiarii.
• Richelbacher Fährtenplatte – A sandstone slab with detailed traces of archosaurs from about 247 million years ago.

Operated by

Stadt Obernburg a.Main

Director

Eric Erfurth

Admission & discounts

Free admission: On shopping Sundays

No card payment at the museum. Free admission for holders of the Bayerische Ehrenamtskarte.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

Museum scavenger hunt for different age groups, listening stations, and a museum education room where children can try on Roman armor and garments.

Getting there & parking

By car via the B 469, exit Obernburg-Mitte.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit