Roman Villa Kanzlerwald

The first settlement in the Pforzheim area is now found as the remains of a Roman estate in the Kanzlerwald. The excavated foundations of the estate date from approximately the first half of the second century. Around 263 AD, when the Limes was overrun by the Germanic tribes, the villa was abandoned.

An almost square enclosing wall, approximately 95 m long, encloses various buildings, foundations, and a well. The enclosing wall was about 60 cm thick. Within the enclosing wall, the foundations of a main building, a bathhouse, and three storage and servants' houses with a well are visible. The Villa rustica was accessible via a north and a south gate.

The estate was first investigated in 1832 by Chief Forester Arnsperger. In 1879, engineer Näher was the first to create a ground plan, which the Pforzheim architects Alfred Waag and J. Koch expanded after further excavations.

From 1966 to 1975, the estate was extensively investigated and restored by the State Office for Monument Preservation. Since then, the site has been publicly accessible. A model of it can be seen in the Archaeological Exhibition Kappelhof. Finds included, among other things, so-called Terra Sigillata shards.

The visible foundations, slightly protruding from the ground, were covered with a protective layer of mortar.

The Villa rustica portus is located in the northwestern part of Hagenschieß. It was easily accessible via Kanzlersträßchen. A connection to the new, second Buckenbergauffahrt is strongly suspected.

East of Kanzlersträßchen, this archaeological site lies on a wooded plateau on the slope of the Enztal valley.