The Battle of the Teutoberg Forest

The Teutoberg Forest, or in German Teutoberger Wald, is an area of mountains that lie within Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. The forest stretches eastward towards the Weser River and to Osnabrück. Osnabrück lies between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoberg Forest.

In the fall of 9 AD, Germanic tribes won a decisive battle against the Romans, thus changing the course of European history.

East of the Rhine River, there is a place called Kalkriese Hill. It was near this hill that Hermann, or Arminius of the Cherusci tribe, fought Publius Quinctilius Varus, a Roman general under Augustus. The sight of the battle has been discovered at Kalkriese, north of modern Osnabrück. Here is a Google map of Kalkriese.

Hermann ambushed and destroyed three legions of Romans, with the alliance of various German tribes. This ambush changed history altogether. By defeating the Romans and holding them back, this clearly stopped Rome from advancing further north into Germania. This distanced the Germans from the Romans.

Some historians thought Hermann was a myth, or a legend that the German tribes had made up. But many history observers very well believe that he was definitely real, and his role along with this decisive battle, could have just lost its prominence in the pages of history books.

Tony Clunn, a retired British Army Major, discovered the sight  in 1987. Tony Clunn made a series of archaeological discoveries which ultimately revealed where the advance of the Roman Empire was finally halted in AD9. His discovery revealed that the missing Legions were 50 miles away when they were finally massacred by the German tribes.

There is also a Museum und Park Kalkriese, where surprises can be found.

As suggested beforehand, some think that Arminius, or Hermann is a myth, or Germany’s first hero. Others smirk and plug the need for a hero.

The fall of Rome is frequently pondered among historians. The role of the Barbarians is thought to have contributed to the demise of the Romans. With brand new discoveries such as the findings of British Major Clunn, maybe some of the pages lost in our history books will materialize.