In the second half of the last millennium BC, the history of Central and Southern Europe was shaped by peoples who called their Greek and Roman neighbors "Celts".

The lecture illustrates the essential characteristics of Celtic culture on the basis of the messages of ancient authors and the findings of modern archaeology, gives an overview of its history from its beginnings to Romanization and concludes with an outlook on the survival of Celtic cultural elements in the Middle Ages and modern times.

Bernhard Maier teaches general religious studies and European religious history at the University of Tübingen. He is a recognized expert on the Celts and is the author of the publication Die Kelten - Geschichte, Sprache und Kultur.