An Exciting Walk Through the History of the Kelheim Region
Besides the Liberation Hall and the Danube Gorge, the Archaeological Museum in the late-Gothic Herzogkasten in the old town is considered a very special attraction in Kelheim. Thanks to excavations in the area of the Main-Danube Canal and the nearby surroundings, it is possible to show an uninterrupted settlement continuity over the last 100,000 years.
The presentation "Stone – Bronze – Iron," awarded by the Council of Europe, is displayed across eight islands in a showcase landscape.
Original finds such as a rare bread-loaf idol, Celtic grave goods, or the Roman coin treasure of Eining are complemented by reconstructions, illustrations, and models:
The exhibition tells the story of the Paleolithic Neanderthals and the first modern humans during the last ice age, the last major climate change and its consequences 12,000 years ago, and how the first farmers obtained the desirable flint in mines. During the Bronze Age, the region along the Danube and Altmühl became the center of trade between East and West, North and South: copper and tin, amber, and gold. In the Iron Age, the Celts founded the Oppidum Alkimoennis on the Michelsberg here – a vast city in the middle of the "Ruhr area of the Celts." With the Roman conquest, the region came under tension: numerous discoveries illustrate the civilian and military life along the Danube and Limes. With settlements and graves, the first Bavarians laid the germ cells of the later city of Kelheim as early as the 6th century. The exhibition transitions with the model of the trade and economic center during the time of Emperor Charlemagne and the residence of the Wittelsbach dukes Otto I and his son Ludwig I, known as "the Kelheimer," in the 12th and 13th centuries, to the city history department:
Located on the first floor of the museum, it is themed "Kelheim – City on the River."
Built directly into the flood zone by the Wittelsbach dukes, the strategically favorable position between Michelsberg, Danube, and Altmühl estuary has always determined the life of this city´s inhabitants. Fishermen and boatmen were documented as early as 1300. In the 14th/15th century, a large shipyard likely existed in Kelheim. The name of the city was even transferred to a certain type of ship; a "Kelheimer" always meant the largest ship in a convoy on the Danube. The city history department also shows where, how, and what the people of Kelheim lived on: what crafts were practiced, how wine and beer shaped the city´s image, and what were Kelheim’s export hits.
In the idyllic courtyard of the imposing late-Gothic Herzogkasten, which was built in the 15th century from the spolia of the former Kelheim castle for tithe duties, original remnants of 13 meters of the originally over 7 km long Altmühl wall of the Oppidum Alkimoennis have been rebuilt, as well as a reconstruction of their original height. The hearing point of the Altmühltal Archaeology Park provides information here about the excavations at the Main-Danube Canal.
In addition to the two permanent exhibitions, the museum features changing special exhibitions on archaeological-historical topics and contemporary art and offers a comprehensive program for young and old alike: educational offers for children, guided tours, guided hikes and excursions, lecture evenings, experimental archaeology, and interactive activities for all, as well as the popular museum festivals.
