document Neupfarrplatz

Six meters below the Neupfarrplatz lie the remains of the Roman legionary camp Castra Regina, built in 179 AD by Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The camp, which has been destroyed several times, has remained continuously inhabited until today.
During the construction of document Neupfarrplatz, a small section of the Roman interior building was uncovered: the wall features and the remains of the brick slab floor come from a building that was rebuilt several times and served as the residence of a high-ranking officer, and stood directly on the camp's main road, the via principalis.

Regensburg's Jewish quarter was first mentioned in documents around 1000 AD. This is the oldest mention of a Jewish settlement in Germany. For more than 500 years, the Jews lived continuously in their quarter and helped shape the history of the city.

The Jewish quarter consisted of about 39 houses, including some public buildings, such as the synagogue. The Jewish community had its own administration, seal and judges.

In the 15th century, hostilities directed against the Jews increased dramatically. A few weeks after the death of Emperor Maximilian I, the patron of the Jews, the city council decided to expel them.

The most spectacular find of the 1995-1998 excavations dates back to the heyday of the medieval Jewish quarter: the treasure consisting of 624 gold coins from the end of the 14th century, which was found not far from document Neupfarrplatz.

In the years 1995-1998 the most extensive urban core excavation in Regensburg took place on the Neupfarrplatz with an area of approx. 3000 m². Large parts of the medieval cellars of the Jewish quarter were uncovered.

The most spectacular discoveries were the Gothic synagogue and its Romanesque predecessor. In some places, it was also possible to examine Roman layers. Using the most modern technical aids, numerous new insights into building activity and large quantities of finds relating to everyday life in the medieval Jewish quarter were obtained. In addition, spectacular individual finds, such as a gold treasure or a golden finger ring belonging to a high Jewish dignitary, came to light.

In order not to destroy the lasting impression of the building remains from two millennia by disturbing didactic fixtures, a multimedia presentation was created to show the history of Neupfarrplatz as a paradigm of Regensburg's two thousand year history.

At the center of this presentation is a reconstruction of some parts of the Jewish quarter, realized with great scientific and technical effort. This ambitious project could only be realized in international cooperation and with strong support from the European Union and the HypoVereinsbank.