The 1000th anniversary of the death of Emperor Henry II has instigated celebrations throughout the city and archbishopric of Bamberg . A high point in the commemorative programme is the exhibition “1000 Years Ago” at Bamberg Historical Museum in the Alte Hofhaltung . This book is a catalogue to accompany the exhibition. The book does not focus exclusively on the emperor, but also on his wife, the Empress Cunigunde, and the lives of the people of the time. From the perspective of the common people the exhibition asks: Who lived 1000 years ago in Bamberg, and how did they live? What did people eat, what did they wear, how did they spend their days? Who went to war with the Emperor and what did it mean to set out on a campaign? What role did women play and within what limits could they act? The catalogue answers these questions in readily understood but at the same time scholarly articles and essays that make the insights of current research accessible to the general public. Established academic writers are joined in this undertaking by well-known figures of popular historical culture as well as younger researchers. The catalogue is richly illustrated throughout with photographs and drawings that add vitality to the picture of life 1000 years ago.