Roman burial ground in Cologne

Luxemburger Straße, within the present-day city limits of Cologne, follows the route of the major Roman road – initially from Cologne to Zülpich and then on to Trier. Outside the gates of Roman Cologne, this road, up to 30 meters wide, led through the suburbs with their workshops such as potteries and glue factories.

For several kilometers along its length, the road was lined on both sides with cemeteries, as Roman law prohibited burials within the city limits. The above-ground design of the graves depended on the family’s wealth, but also on the prevailing trends of the time.

The grand burial sites, with their gardens, tombs, and prominent pillar- and tower-like monuments, were concentrated in the prominent areas near the street. Behind these, less elaborate graves, either individually or in groups, were set back up to 100 meters from the road. The burial site, conceived as a house for eternity (domus aeterna), was privately acquired without time limit and was inviolable.