“Varus, give me my legions back!” Emperor Augustus is said to have cried out, when the news reached him that more than 15.000 Roman soldiers had been lured into an ambush by Germanic tribesmen and had suffered a crushing defeat in 2009. The Emperor and the whole of Rome were shocked. The superpower Rome had lost three of its best legions and had suffered one of the greatest defeats of its history. The plans to set up a province east of the Rhine had been foiled. The Varus Battle, also known as the Battle in the Teutoburg Forest, was to become an event of historical importance. It shaped today’s Europe decisively. The Romans abandoned their plans for expansion in faraway Germania and retreated to beyond the Rhine. But how could it come to this disaster for the Imperium at the height of its power? Who was the Cheruscian prince, Arminius, who had betrayed the experienced commander, Varus, in such a devious fashion? How could a young Germanic warrior, an officer in the service of Rome, bring a superpower to its knees? And how did he become a German national hero? And finally: What political consequences did this defeat have for the history of Europe and Germany ? The historical importance of the battle is undisputed, the exact location is still not known yet and two cities claim the location. This disagreement lead to an exhibition in three cities, dealing with various aspects of the battle. The Roman military facilities in Haltern are amongst the most important and best researched complexes in the Imperium Romanum at the time of Augustus. Against this background, the Römermuseum in Haltern.
