During the 2015/16 winter semester and the 2016 summer semester, the two departments organised a joint seminar in English.

The first block –‘Metus mutuus – the special relationship between the Roman Empire and Ancient Germany’ – took place from 13 to 17 October 2015 in Oldenburg.

The seminar examined the relationship between the Romans and the Germanic peoples based on primary sources. The focus was on encounters between the two cultures and ethnic groups in our region. Consequently, particular attention was paid to archaeological finds from the region (such as Kalkriese/the Battle of Varus, exhibits at the Oldenburg State Museum of Nature and Man, and the Jever silver hoard). A secondary aspect was the reflection of the 19th-century enthusiasm for antiquity (e.g. Oldenburg’s museums).

During the second block, from 2 to 6 May 2016, the Oldenburg students took part in a classical studies field trip through northern Italy, led by Stefano Magnani and Paolo Casari from the University of Udine. Also on the coach was a group of students from Klagenfurt with their professor, Renate Lafer.

The perfectly organised trip took them to the Valcomanica, Brescia, Verona and Vicenza. Everywhere we went, there were excellent guided tours which focused in particular on the process of Romanisation in this region. Nevertheless, the chronological scope was very broad, ranging from the rock carvings of the Camuni to Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.