Tamal Kundu
In 2020, Netflix made its collection of historical drama series even more diverse with the release ‘Barbarians,’ which chronicles one of the most pivotal moments in European history, the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (circa September 9 CE), which resulted in a decisive victory of the Germanic tribes against the Roman Empire. While the series is predominantly told from the perspective of the Germanian tribes, the point of view of the Roman legions receives considerable attention as well.
The showrunners—Arne Nolting, Jan Martin Scharf, and Andreas Heckmann—not only cast Italian actors to portray the Roman characters but also had them speak in Latin, adding an additional coat of authenticity to the series. If you are wondering where the Teutoburg Forest, the setting for the eponymous battle, is located and if the show was filmed on location there, we have got your back.
Barbarians Filming Locations
In 9 CE, the pre-Christian Roman Empire was at the height of its power. Caesar Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, was still alive and ruled a massive landmass that extended from the North African coast to modern Britain. Although he was not directly involved in it, the Roman defeat at Teutoburg Forest would go down in history as the worst failure of his otherwise unblemished career.
The Romans in Germania were under the command of Publius Quinctilius Varus (Gaetano Aronica), whom Augustus had made the governor of the newly-established Roman province two years before the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. The Germanic Tribes, on the other hand, were led by Arminius (Laurence Rupp), a Germanic man who had once served as an officer in Varus’ auxilia. Netflix’s ‘Barbarians’ was filmed in Budapest and other parts of Hungary. Here are the specific filming details!
Budapest, Hungary
Okay team! Wanna know what I was shooting in Budapest?
I give you the teaser trailer for Barbarians on @netflix – October 23rdhttps://t.co/YVuC2rZZ0g— Tash (Taylor’s Version) 🩵 ⸆⸉ (@tashmontlake) September 23, 2020
The showrunners, along with directors – Barbara Eder and Steve Saint Leger – and cinematographer Christian Stangassinger, decided to film ‘Barbarians’ in Budapest and other parts of Hungary and not on location in the Teutoburg Forest. In the past, Budapest has been used to film projects like ‘The Witcher,’ ‘Terminator: Dark Fate,’ and ‘Midsommar.’ Some additional filming for the upcoming space opera film ‘Dune’ also happened in Budapest.
The Location of Teutoburg Forest
The Teutoburg Forest, the region that lends its name to the battle, is a series of low hills that stretch between Hanover and Dusseldorf. In fact, until the 19th century, the official name of the hill ridge was Osning. A lush deciduous forest has grown on the hills and in sections of the valley. The area is known for producing cereals.
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