A section of the imposing Roman fortification was rebuilt on the excavation site at the former North Gate. Of the camp wall remained, among other things, foundation trenches and footprints of the intermediate towers, so that the location and size of the camp gates could also be determined during the excavations carried out.
In the late summer of 11 B.C. Roman legionaries built a camp strategically close to the river Lippe to protect their troops in the unknown forest and swamp area - the Roman camp Oberaden. With an area of 56 hectares (about 80 soccer fields) it was the largest Roman camp north of the Alps.
For the construction of the camp, the Romans chose a hill with a good view of the surrounding terrain. In addition, watercourses and marshes provided additional protection from enemies on all sides. The fortification consisted of a pointed ditch about 5 meters wide and 3 meters deep. The protective wall, built of oak logs, was 2.7 km long and 3 m wide and was filled with earth for stability. Watchtowers jutted out at 25-meter intervals. A large gate was located on each of the four main sides. For better defense, the gates were built as a U (zangent gates) facing inward. It is estimated that 25,000 oak trees had to be felled for the construction of the wood-earth wall alone.
In the heart of the camp was the commander's house (praetorium) and the administrative building (principia). South of them lived the officers. As excavations have shown, the Roman noble class did not do without atrium villas with a lot of comfort and lush gardens, even in foreign countries. Along the camp wall there were crew quarters for the legionaries, mostly built in half-timbered construction. Latrines and wells as well as small non-commissioned officers' (centurion) houses were located in the immediate vicinity of the legionaries' quarters.
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