Eisenzeithaus Ostercappeln-Venne (DE)

The project is coordinated by the "Förderverein Schnippenburg e. V.", in cooperation with the Gemeinde Ostercappeln. From first idea to end result were three years, and the project is partly financed by sponsoring, EU financing and a small portion of money from the government. The plan was made by an archaeologist, architect and museum pedagogues. The building has two naves and is of the Haps type, mainly known from the nearby Dutch province Drenthe. North of the region Drenthe, Osnabrücker Land & Münster houses used to have in this period three naves. The plan is partly oval shaped. The posts are positioned in pairs, but a technical reason has not been defined. The inner wall is about two metres tall. The newly reconstructed house has four boxes for cattle but in the original situation this could have been more. The stable doors are wider than the doors for the living area. For the roof construction, other similar finds were looked into. The construction of the house at Venne is not called an experiment whatsoever – for such an approach the necessary people and money were not available. The house is supposed to look like how the original might have been in the 4th, 3rd century BC. Goal of the project is to give visitors an experience about the past daily life in this area in the context of an Iron Age world. Imagine that we are here in the Varus Region, which is famous for the battle when Varus lost three legions against Arminius in the Teutoburg Forrest. This project points to an important period in the history of this region. The regional aspect is emphasised by using only such sources for reconstruction, there are plenty! The house is annexed with an oven for bread, a smithy, workshops, a granary, gardens and fields. Education is important for the Eisenzeithaus association, also workshops and seminars take place. Besides archaeological themes, also the relation between people and their natural environment get attention. The project is connected with other archaeological must-see things in the area which include the Bronzezeithof Uelsen and the Sachsenhof in Greven.

Picture by Corradox