ROMANS

ROMANS – Faces of a World Empire
People caught between power and everyday life at the Lokschuppen Rosenheim
How can one tell the story of a world empire? The Roman Empire was more than a succession of emperors, battles and conquests. It was a tapestry of millions of individual life stories – shaped by social status, social roles and regional traditions. This is precisely where the exhibition ROMANS – Faces of a World Empire at the Lokschuppen Rosenheim comes in: rather than unfolding the history of the empire solely through rulers, military campaigns and administrative structures, it places the focus on the people who sustained this empire: traders and craftsmen, soldiers and farmers, children, priestesses, gladiators and emperors. It retells the history of the Empire from their perspective.
At the heart of the exhibition is an exceptionally wide-ranging selection of 1,228 objects from all regions of the Roman Empire. Treasure finds sit alongside everyday objects, grave goods alongside tools of daily life. Taken together, they paint a nuanced picture of a world power founded on mobility, mutual exchange and cultural diversity.
The exhibition makes a particular impact through its narrative dimension. Fictional yet historically grounded characters offer personal perspectives on central questions of Roman history. Their stories – written by renowned authors – bring to life how social tensions, economic changes and political upheavals impacted individual lives. In this way, the rise and gradual decline of the Empire are not discussed in abstract terms, but explained in a concrete and humanly relatable manner.
Multimedia installations and interactive stations deepen this approach: writing on wax tablets, laying a mosaic or handling selected original artefacts provide direct access to antiquity. A collaborative, idealised Roman city built from LEGO® bricks invites visitors to help shape Roman urbanity themselves.
The exhibition understands ‘Roman’ not as a fixed cultural label, but as a dynamic process. Identity appears here as the result of encounter, adaptation and intermingling – a perspective that also touches on contemporary debates.
This creates a multi-layered portrait of the Roman Empire: not monumentally exaggerated, but close to the people. ROMANS – Faces of a World Empire can be seen at the Lokschuppen Rosenheim from 20 March 2026 to 1 August 2027.
SALVETE! TOGA ALERT AT THE LOKSCHUPPEN.
753 – Rome hatches from the egg. From a small village on the Tiber, one of the greatest empires in world history emerges: the Roman Empire. From a fresh perspective, the Lokschuppen uses spectacular artefacts to tell the story of the people of antiquity – and the traces they left behind. Citizens and traders, legionaries and farmers, children and emperors, worshippers and gladiators take centre stage. They reveal what held the Roman Empire together at its very core: the people themselves.
ROMANS FOR REAL. NO SANDALS REQUIRED.
A lively, interactive exhibition featuring multimedia and analogue displays paints a picture of everyday life – with narrative power and scholarly depth – caught between luxury and fate, between wine, chariot races and wild boar.
It presents Roman life not in black and white, but in colour, with many voices and full of emotion. Identity arises from many things: origin, language, roles and attributions. It is not a fixed core, but a process. The faces and stories show how diverse Roman worlds were and how fluid is what we today call ‘Roman’.
THE LEGACY OF THINGS.
1,228 fascinating objects invite you to marvel – from spectacular treasure finds to everyday objects. But the true treasure lies in their stories of encounter, change and fusion. If you look closely, you will see: the traces of the past lead straight to the present.
JOIN IN!
Become a city architect in LOCDVNVM*! Together, we’ll build the world’s largest idealised Roman city using over half a million original Lego® bricks. Admission €3. *The design and construction plans were developed by independent model builders specifically for this project. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group, which is not involved in this project.
What makes this exhibition so unique?
TOUCHING ALLOWED.
Feel history – selected originals from the Roman era may be touched.
GET INVOLVED INSTEAD OF JUST WATCHING.
Write on wax tablets, dress in Roman garb, lay a mosaic, play ‘Roman’ – become part of everyday Roman life.
‘MOSAIC PUZZLE BOOK’ for children.
Exciting tasks await at various stations throughout the exhibition. Those who complete them collect “mosaic tiles” and, with them, clues to the solution word.
MINT A ROMAN COIN.
As a “reward” for your work as a city architect of LOCDVNVM, you can try your hand at minting a “real” Roman coin and take it home with you.
CHARIOT RACES.
Step into the “Circus Maximus” yourself: at the “Chariot Races” media station, you can steer a Roman chariot through the famous ancient racecourse.
PERSONAL, INTIMATE, POIGNANT.
Fictional yet historically grounded characters from various regions and social classes of the empire form a special narrative layer. Ten distinguished authors, including Bernhard Hennen, Theresa Hannig and Markus Heitz, have written emotional audio stories from Roman life exclusively for the exhibition. Impressive artistic black-and-white portraits bring these stories to life.
THE LEGACY OF THINGS
1,228 fascinating [JS1.1][ES1.2][SJ1.3]objects invite you to marvel – from spectacular treasure finds to everyday objects. But the true treasure lies in
their stories of encounter, change and fusion. If you look closely, you will see: the traces of the past lead straight to the present.
XXL RUNNING TIME WITH CHANGING OBJECTS
Due to the length of the exhibition, some exhibits will be replaced over time. As a member of the Freundeskreis Lokschuppen e.V. (from €35.00 per year), you can visit the RÖMER as often as you like.
LET’S GET ROMAN-TIC.
Invite your loved ones to the new LOK1858 restaurant before, after or during your visit to the exhibition https://lok-rosenheim.de/.
SPQR? Discover for yourself. Change your perspective. Experience quality. RÖMER at the Lokschuppen.
RÖMER are PROGRAMME
No booking required:
SPECIALS with booking:
Daily guided tours: Dates and programme at https://tickets.lokschuppen.de/
Children’s birthday parties (ages 5 and up) with children’s tours and workshops
‘Mosaic puzzle book’ for children: Solve puzzles, collect mosaic tiles and find the solution! Hands-on tour for primary schools and nurseries
Family workshops: Dates and programme at https://tickets.lokschuppen.de/
Themed tours and workshops for all types of schools
Roman camp in Mangfallpark on 20–21 June 2026 & 19–20 June 2027 Group tours of all kinds (barrier-free options available)
THE HARD FACTS
How to get here
Rathausstraße 24, 83022 Rosenheim.
Affordable parking at P1 Zentrum. Approx. 10-minute walk from the station (MVV connections).
Opening hours
20 March 2026 to 1 August 2027
Mon–Sun 10am–5pm
Closed on 24 Dec 2026 and 31 Dec 2026
Tickets
www.tickets.lokschuppen.de
Standard: €19.50, Concessions: €8.00
Concessions
Mondays for families and Fridays for senior citizens. Further details at www.lokschuppen.de/info/preise-tickets
Information and booking
besucherservice@vkr-rosenheim.de
Mon–Thu: 10.00 am–3.30 pm
Fri: 10.00 am–12.00 pm
Tel: +49 8031 365 9036
www.lokschuppen.de

Last edited on 19.03.2026