Römische Töpferöfen

At the Römische Töpferöfen in Frankfurt, two original Roman pottery kilns stand under a protective structure in a small archaeological park. They occupy ground that once belonged to Nida, the Roman capital of the Civitas Taunensium. A visit means stepping out of the modern city and straight into the remains of an ancient one.

At its height in the first century AD, Nida held around ten thousand people. The town had a market, public baths, city walls and a theatre. Pottery making was one of the trades that sustained the settlement. The two kilns show that craft exactly as the Romans practised it. Builders came across them during construction in the early 1970s, and preservation efforts followed. Frankfurt's archaeological museum looks after the site and runs guided tours. A guide explains Roman daily life and the skills of the potters who worked here.

Most of Nida lies hidden under the surrounding streets. Here the park keeps the ground open, and two of the ovens still hold their place beneath the shelter. Stand in front of them and you come face to face with the craft that kept a Roman capital supplied.