Thorr / Tiberiacum Bergheim

Ancient foundations, a well, and refuse pits—many finds since the mid-19th century indicate that a Roman roadside settlement (vicus) once existed here in what is now the village of Thorr. The closely spaced remains suggest that the settlement probably extended at least 250 meters on both sides of the road. The settlement area likely began about 280 meters west of the Erft lowlands.

There is further evidence of Roman habitation here: at the western edge of the village, the Via Belgica crosses a road leading from Zülpich to Neuss. Several burial areas are grouped around this crossroads. In 1995, 188 cremation graves from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD were excavated south of the Roman road.

Tombstones that had been used as building material for the old church in Thorr—and which came to light when it was demolished at the beginning of the 20th century—may have originated from this burial ground. In addition, remains of a Roman Mercury altar and many Matronae monuments were incorporated into the church, suggesting that a sanctuary may once have stood nearby.

Beyond the Erft, toward Cologne, the construction of the Kenten sewage treatment plant in 1975 uncovered the junction of a secondary road with the Via Belgica and a Roman road station. Whether the Roman settlement in Bergheim-Thorr corresponds to the Tiberiacum mentioned in ancient sources cannot be answered with current research. The place name “Thorr” could also derive from a Roman watchtower (ad turrem), which would have had strategic importance at this location for overseeing the Erft crossing.