Press Release from November 27, 2025:
The Kaiserpfalz Research Center of the City of Ingelheim and the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate (GDKE) have signed a cooperation agreement concerning the “Analysis of Archaeological Investigations in the Jewish Ritual District of Worms 2021–202.” This joint project, which aims to provide deeper insights into the architectural and cultural history of the SchUM World Heritage Site in Worms, continues the successful collaboration between the State’s Upper Monument Authority and the City of Ingelheim. As part of the cooperation, the Kaiserpfalz Research Center will conduct the scientific analysis of all medieval findings and artifacts. The project is funded by the State and is expected to be completed in March 2027.
The Kaiserpfalz as a Laboratory for Archaeological Research
Back in 2018, the two institutions formalized a five-year collaboration through an agreement. The newly established agreement now extends this partnership to a ten-year cooperation focusing on research, scientific networking, as well as education and public outreach. Instead of the General Director of LEIZA, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Alexandra Busch, the agreement was signed by the Deputy Director and Head of the Roman Archaeology Department, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dominik Maschek. In his address, the archaeologist highlighted the connection between the Kaiserpfalz in Ingelheim and the Roman-Germanic Central Museum (RGZM), founded in 1852, which dates back to the 19th century. Maschek emphasized that the collaboration had already been impressive in the past, but the future promised even more. “The Kaiserpfalz is not only an outstanding cultural monument but also a laboratory for archaeological research.” The future collaboration will primarily focus on archaeological material research, which will provide insights into the culture, economy, and social structures of the region.
For the City of Ingelheim, Mayor and Head of the Department of Culture Eveline Breyer signed the agreement. In her address, she expressed her conviction that the Research Center provides tremendous value to the City of Ingelheim, as it makes history tangible not only for tourism but especially for the people of the region, for whom the Kaiserpfalz monument is a source of identity. Stephanie Metz, Head of the Mainz Branch of the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate (GDKE), Directorate of State Archaeology, emphasized in her address the role of the Research Center as a rare specialized institution whose expertise is also in demand elsewhere, such as currently in the SchUM World Heritage Site in Worms. She highlighted that the interdisciplinary approach to medieval research conducted there is absolutely essential to adequately address the complexity of historical contexts. Holger Grewe, who has led the Kaiserpfalz Research Center since its founding in 2001, outlined key milestones of archaeological investigations such as the Aula Regia, Heidesheimer Gate, and Remigius Church: “The most important task is the interplay of discovery, interpretation, and communication.”
Influences from the South in Focus
The conference, organized by Matylda Gierszewska-Noszczyńska (Kaiserpfalz Research Center) and Lutz Grunwald (LEIZA), focused on the transition from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages. The 25 presentations primarily addressed the question of what connections can be identified during this period between the Rhine region and southern areas, such as the Alemannic territories or the Lombard domain south of the Alps. For example, what influences from Italy can be found in the artifacts from the burial ground on the Rotweinstraße? What models inspired Charlemagne’s builders when constructing the palace in Ingelheim? Researchers from Aachen, Trier, Cologne, Frankfurt, and other locations along the Rhine explored similar questions regarding archaeological monuments or grave findings.
The conference, whose proceedings are planned to be published in a conference volume, was hosted by the Kaiserpfalz Research Center of the City of Ingelheim and the Leibniz Center for Archaeology (LEIZA). Cooperation partners included the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt and the Working Group on Palace Research.
