In the exhibition “The Legacy of Rome. Visions and Myths in Art”, the Stadtmuseum Simeonstift Trier explores the traces that the fall of the Roman Empire left behind in the emergence of various state formations. Visitors are guided through the history of the mythification of the fall of the empire up to the 19th century.

Over the following centuries, the leaders of the most diverse nations increasingly developed into legendary heroic figures: Arminius in Germany, Vercingetorix in France, Boudicca in England etc. became the central figures of slowly developing nations. The tales of the Nibelungs, Dietrich von Bern and Uther Pendragon processed the events in a legendary way and thus contributed to the formation of the identity of modern European nations. The burgeoning nationalism led to numerous imaginative depictions of the respective heroes defending “their” country against “Roman oppression”.

235 Media designed and realized several interactive media stations. The “Heroes against Rome” station, for example, offers visitors the choice between three historical figures that can be placed in a table recess as RFID objects and thus start film clips on a corresponding monitor.