of Elsenwang, 2nd – 3rd Century AD
Former Mayor Franz Achleitner sen., Steindlbauer zu Elsenwang, often told the story that during the 1930s, a dowel revealed an underground cavity upon being hit. In 1990, this story was recorded in the Local Record for Hof and attracted the attention of the local history buff and local resident of Hof, Arch. Dipl. Ing. Ludwig Graupner.
The foundations of a luxurious bathing complex were excavated
With his metal detector, Ludwig Graupner found a Roman coin in Elsenwang (near the Siconnex company building/warehouse) as well as a Bronze Roman brooch (garment clasp). He instantly made the Salzburg Museum aware of these finds.
The digs conducted subsequently by the Salzburg Museum in 1992 under the leadership of Salzburg archaeologists Fritz Moosleitner and Eva Maria Feldinger revealed the foundations of a once luxurious bathhouse. This consisted of three bathing rooms (hot air room, temperate room, cold air room) with warm and cold water pools, as well as a rest area and a changing room.
Inhabited in the 2nd and 3rd centuries
In addition, the remains of a commercial building were also found. The main building (the residence of the estate owner and his family) could not be located and, according to the archaeologists, it is likely that this was destroyed during work involving a digger (plot joining). The estate is likely to have been inhabited in the 2nd and 3rd centuries.
183 exhibits were found during the dig, which are now stored at the Salzburg Museum.
Verwendete Quellen und Literatur:
Heger, Norbert: »Salzburg in römischer Zeit«, Salzburg Museum Carolino Augusteum, Bd. 19, 1973.
Tarmann,Johann/Ainz, Franz u.a.: »Chronik Hof bei Salzburg 1989-1997« (Fortsetzung der bisherigen Chronik aus dem Jahre 1989), hrsg. von der Gemeinde Hof bei Salzburg, 1997.
