The age of transition from antiquity to Christianity marks the beginning of the end of the ancient world and the gradual transition to what became known as the Middle Ages. This period is conventionally known as late antiquity, when the Roman Empire gradually dissolved in the West and Christianity in all its diversity became the leading religion. The interest and study of Late Antiquity (200-600 AD) was for a long time viewed from a dark perspective. The Roman civilization gone, barbarism in was the common view. There was life after the third century however, not only in the flourishing East, with booming, old and new cities such as Constantinople, Damascus, Alexandria, Antioch, but also in the western part of Europe.
The region around Lake Constance (Bodensee) and the Upper Rhine Valley were deeply romanized during the first centuries of Roman rule. The Christianization also took shape and the Bishopric of Chur/Curia in the late forth century marks the beginning of Christian rule in the Roman province of Raetia. The period of Christianization and the transformation of the Romanized society was a gradual process that took a long time.
The Landes Museum Baden-Württemberg, the archaeological departments of the cantons Thurgau, St. Gall, of the city of Contance (Kreisarchäeologie Konstanz) and of the Principality Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein), the Vorarlberg museum and the heritage Foundation Freiburg research and exhibit the finds of this Roman, Christian and barbarian (Alaman) transition period. Further information. a.o: www.vorarlbergmuseum.at and www.landesmuseum.li