Prof. Koen Ottenheyn delivers Austrian Fund lunch talk on Roman remnants in modern central Europe
On Tuesday, December 9 2025, Prof. Koen Ottenheyn delivered the last Austria Centre lunch talk of 2025. Prof. Ottenheyn serves as a professor of architectural history at Utrecht University, The Netherlands, and is a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences and the Academic Curatorium which advises the Special Chair for Central European Studies.
He spoke about his research charting Roman "limes" throughout Central Europe revealing ruins, remains and reintegrated architectures in the process. "Limes" were fortified roads, often used by the Roman army and often represented the frontiers of Roman expansion. Prof. Ottenheyn's talk drew a diverse audience from the fields of archeology, egyptology, Ancient Near Eastern studies, history and library sciences. Ottenheyn's new book, De limes als legende De herontdekking van de Romeinse rijksgrens en de architectuur in Europa (1450–1720) will be published in Dutch and English next year.
