What secrets do these restored walls of the Römisches Haus hold? This intriguing site offers a glimpse into Stuttgart’s distant past. The Römisches Haus, or Roman House, isn’t Roman at all. It is a suspected cult building. Indigenous Celtic people likely built it in the 2nd century.
Around 800 meters east of the Bärenschlössle, in the Rotwildpark near Stuttgart, lies the Römisches Haus. Archaeologists Oscar Paret and Gerhard Bersu examined it in 1921 and 1922. Later, in 1976, the State Monuments Office of Baden-Württemberg re-examined it.
The find was only one kilometer east of the Roman road. This road led from Vaihingen, a district of Stuttgart today, to the Solitude district. The building’s square layout measures 26 meters on each side. Its walls are quite sturdy, at 80 to 90 centimeters thick.
Foundation structures run parallel to the wall inside. They suggest a portico, a covered walkway. The main entrance was 2.5 to 3.0 meters wide. It was located in the middle of the southeast side. In addition to this main entrance, there were three smaller side entrances. These entrances, about 0.8 meters wide, stood at the west, north, and east corners. Each had massive threshold stones.
Inside, only a box-shaped pit with a square base was found. It measured 2.8 meters per side and was originally lined with wood. Various ceramics from the late 2nd century were recovered from the pit. One nearly complete bowl was among the finds.
Dieter Planck considered residential use unlikely. He noted the remote location in a sparsely populated area at the time. The form and features of the structure suggest a cult building.
Today, the Römisches Haus’s remaining walls have been restored. You can explore them here. The “Römisches Haus” is a protected cultural monument. It falls under Baden-Württemberg’s monument protection law. Excavation finds are housed in the Landesmuseum Württemberg. It is located in the Old Castle in Stuttgart. So, while named “Roman,” the Römisches Haus whispers tales of Celtic rituals. It provides a unique insight into this region’s past.