Living national history – spectacular Ukrainian finds

David Firschau and Yana Rudenko
The Great State Exhibition in Stuttgart “The Hidden Land“provides a fascinating insight into the history of Baden-Württemberg in the 1st millennium AD. Finds from the state and from western Ukraine show that migration was already an important topic at that time. The exhibition also deals with the topics of integration, communication, spirituality and power in stages of around 200 years each – elaborately staged.

Integration and mutual respect
Integration was already part of the reality of life at the beginning of the first millennium AD. Many Germanic tribes friendly to the Roman Empire settled in the occupied territories east of the Rhine. The Romans welcomed the settlement. The settlers had to integrate into an already existing social order. They did this by adapting and being willing to compromise. For example, when it came to burials, as the first room of the exhibition attempts to illustrate. Cremation burials were common for both population groups. A reconstructed pyre made of paper, in which flames generated by a projector flicker, and the remains of a Roman ceremonial portal are intended to show that everyone was able to practice their rites to a considerate degree.

Der erste Raum der Ausstellung: Inszenierung eines Brandbegräbnisses. Foto: tuenews INTERNATIONAL / David Firschau.
Die sog. Seeleoparden zierten einst ein Prunkportal Im römischen Ladenburg, 2. Jahrhundert n. Chr. © Foto: ALM Baden-Württemberg / Manuela Schreiner.

International networking – Suebi in the Ukraine
In the first room of the exhibition, spectacular grave finds from western Ukraine are on display. The glass objects, tools and jewelry are being presented in Germany for the first time. The grave goods in the Germanic graves from the beginning of the third century AD have a surprising connection to southwest Germany. A non-ferrous metal cauldron was also found in a princely tomb. It was a status symbol and served as a funerary urn for a high-ranking Suebi. The three elaborately depicted replicas of men‘s heads attached to the cauldron were made in Roman workshops and each shows a side bun of hair combed from the back to the front and intertwined at the front of the head. As this form of hairstyle cannot be assigned to any other ethnic group, it is also known as the Suebi knot. The Suebi are documented by inscriptions in the Upper Rhine Valley and the Neckar region. A Suebi leader is mentioned on a gravestone from Offenburg. The cauldron therefore facilitates cultural cross-connections from south-western Germany to distant regions such as the Ukraine.

A find of the century?
“Kariv as an archaeological find is the discovery of the century. And not just for Ukraine: the bronze cauldron with attachments in the form of male figures that we found earlier is the third find of its kind in the world. The cemetery also shows that these areas were inhabited by people whose existence on Ukrainian territory was previously unknown, “ says Yaroslav Onyshchuk, head of the excavations and director of the Institute of Archaeology and Prehistory at the Ivan Franko National University in Lviv.

Kessel von Kariv (Ukraine) mit Büsten dreier Sueben mit typischer Haartracht (Suebenknoten) aus einem germanischen Kriegergrab, 2. Jahrhundert n. Chr. © Foto: Istoryko-Krayeznavchyy Muzey, Vynnyky / V. Rohan.

Migration and change
What happened when the Romans gradually left? Other Germanic tribes migrated. The Alemanni took over the Roman houses that were no longer in use. If a house fell victim to a fire or was no longer wanted, the new houses were built in the Alemannic style. This was brought to light by excavations of a Roman and an early Alemannic settlement in Güglingen (Heilbronn district). The new buildings changed the appearance of the village. In the second room, the changes to the settlement are illustrated using the example of a busy shopping street. Harmoniously illuminated replicas of the buildings on both sides of the street make the change comprehensible to visitors. The changing lighting with LEDs allows the houses to emerge and disintegrate again: from stone buildings to timber constructions and finally to pit houses.

Der zweite Ausstellungsraum: Nachbau einer Ladenstraße im Verlauf der Zeit. Foto: tuenews INTERNATIONAL / David Firschau.
Ein Grubenhaus als Beispiel allemannischen Siedlungsbaus. Ebenfalls an der Ladenstraße. Foto: tuenews INTERNATIONAL / David Firschau.

Sumptuous grave goods as a form of communication
The largest room in the exhibition deals with the themes of communication and spirituality. The display cases are arranged like rows of tombs, stretching from the beginning of the room towards the back of the replica of the Sülchenkirche church near Rottenburg (Tübingen district). The church is part of the theme of spirituality, but the link between the church and the pre-Christian burial ground is thematically fitting. Most of the objects in the front display cases are burial objects and were found in Lauchheim in the Ostalbkreis district. Weapons and jewelry bear witness to the splendor and prestige of the owners. Skillful placement and lighting technology allow visitors to see what the grave looked like. If you compare the burial sites before and after Christianization, you can see how the burial objects and burial forms have changed: away from cremation burials, weapons in the graves and buried horses towards garment pins, so-called fibulae, jewelry with Christian motifs, bowls and cross motifs.

Der große Raum unter der Kuppel: Kommunikation & Spiritualität. Foto: tuenews INTERNATIONAL / David Firschau.

Spirituality – Christianization
The 7th and 8th centuries were the time of Christianization in Europe. The first churches were built in the early Middle Ages, including in the southwest. You can even enter an impressive example of sacred building. It is located under the dome of the art building.

Der große Raum unter der Kuppel: Kommunikation & Spiritualität. Foto: tuenews INTERNATIONAL / David Firschau.

A huge construction made of steel girders and textile is filled with a multitude of LEDs. The changing lighting of the entire replica and thus also the largest room in the exhibition is impressive to behold. The Sülchenkirche is presented in its original form and scale. It is considered to be one of the oldest Christian churches in the country. On the outside of the church are further display cases in tombstone form with burial objects. These now often have religious motifs. Inside the church, there are exhibits of ecclesiastical and religious art.

Der große Raum unter der Kuppel: Kommunikation & Spiritualität. Foto: tuenews INTERNATIONAL / David Firschau.

Domination and power
The theme of power comes at the end of the exhibition. The exhibition organizers have managed to skillfully incorporate innovative projection, construction and lighting technology into the room. Curved walls and optical illusions make it appear much larger. A royal reception hall of a so-called palace is depicted. The king received guests there and demonstrated his power to them. These halls are built in a similar way to a basilica. Round, with few windows and controlled incidence of light and torches, supported by columns. The Palatinate of Ulm served as an example.

Visualisierung Ausstellungsgestaltung Raum „Macht“. © Foto: ALM Baden-Württemberg / Simon Neßler.

The display cases are housed in artificial columns, which are intended to represent
the pillars of power at the time of the Frankish kings. In the middle of the room is a media station that provides a wealth of information about the end of the 1st millennium.
The Great State Exhibition 2024 “THE hidden LÄND – We in the first millennium“ in the art building on Schlossplatz in Stuttgart runs until January 26, 2025. Information on visits, offers, audio guides and the Campus Galli medieval construction site can be found at: www.thehiddenlaend.de

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Das Große Kunstgebäude beherbergt die Große Landesausstellung THE hidden LÄND. Foto: Wikimedia / SchiDD.

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