The great Roman Baths of Cologne. A great public Building of the Roman provincial capital

• Applicant: Dr. Michael Dodt
• Subject Area: Classical, Roman, Christian and Islamic Archaeology
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 435338809

The great baths of Cologne took up two insulae within the ancient city close to the forum, and could be easily reached by the main streets. The firstly set up building and the new erection of it which followed quite soon took part during a common change of Roman architecture and technology of baths. In this context the question rises how far the great baths of Cologne took up current designs of the roman-italic architecture, realized own solutions and were prototypes for other public or military baths. Further on, in Cologne the functional connection between building periods of the great baths and the public water supply and sewerage can be observed. Aim of the project is to examine the several building periods and the datation of the great baths as well as to set them in relation to the infrastructure and development of the city, to the military architecture and the early development of the building of bathes in Italy and the western provinces. For these researches the great baths offer excellent premises because of the their excavations and good preservation as well as the well investigated roman city and its infrastructure.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Eckhard Deschler-Erb; Dr. Andreas Kronz; Professorin Dr. Vilma Ruppiene