Roman sewer

The partial section of the Roman sewer was recovered from the adjacent Unter Goldschmied / Große Budengasse intersection when the modern sewer system was laid and the ancient section of a Roman sewer was encountered. The above-ground section refers to the still existing underground section of one of the main sewers from Roman times, which still runs under the street Budengasse.

The supply of fresh water from the Eifel and the corresponding return of polluted water into the Rhine formed one of the most elementary foundations for the development and maintenance of a clean and thus liveable city. It was no longer possible to maintain the system in the Middle Ages, as a result of which the cities became polluted and the quality of the drinking water suffered massively. It was not until the 19th century that sewage systems were installed again in Europe, thus drawing on the legacy of the Romans. Today, a modern city would be unthinkable without a water and sewage system.