The assigned task of the Römisch-Germanische Kommission (RGK) of the German Archaeological Institute is to undertake, support and publish archaeological research in the field of Pre- and Protohistory in Europe. To this end, the RGK maintains close relations with universities, museums and national monument conservation services, as well as international contacts with related institutes.

Based in Frankfurt am Main, the RGK is an independent branch of the German Archaeological Institute, a research institute that falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With its research on the cultural heritage of host countries, the RGK contributes to Germany's foreign cultural policy.
Since its founding in 1902, the RGK has explored and excavated over 250 sites in Germany and abroad. Successful operations have been or are at present being undertaken, for example, in the late antique fort of Iatrus, Bulgaria, at the Neolithic tell site in Okolište, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a Lombard cemetery in Hungary. In Germany, the Celtic oppida of Manching and Dünsberg are noteworthy, as well as the Augustan Roman town of Lahnau-Waldgirmes. Besides the ACE project, the RGK takes a prominent part in projects sponsored by the European Union and the German Research Foundation, including the investigations on early Celtic princely seats ("Fürstensitze"); studies on Roman finds in the European Barbaricum (CRFB); and the exploration of coastal development and cultural history in the Baltic (SINCOS). Further projects include the virtual reconstruction of Iron Age settlements (NETconnect), and the protection of underwater monuments (MACHU).
The RGK publishes two journals: the "Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission" and "Germania", which appear annually and biannually respectively. Articles cover diverse topics in a range of research fields. In addition, the RGK edits several series of monographs, notably "Ausgrabungen in Manching", "Limesforschungen", "Kolloquien zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte", "Römisch-Germanische Forschungen" and „Materialien zur Römisch-Germanischen Keramik". Information on current projects is made available in the form of an online-journal on the website www.spuren-der-jahrtausende.de.
The comprehensive library of the RGK, supported by the German Research Foundation, contains one of Europe's most important collections of literature on European Prehistory, on the archaeology of the Roman Provinces, and on related disciplines and natural sciences. At present over 170.000 volumes are accessible to academics, students or the interested public. Since 1992, as part of a national and international cooperation, the RGK has developed a classification system for its archaeological literature (www.dyabola.de).
The RGK organises lectures, colloquia and congresses, for example the 2007 Computer Applications in Archaeology - CAA conference in Berlin. The RGK also offers travel grants and enables colleagues from abroad to stay and conduct research in Germany, as well as giving young scholars and students the opportunity to participate in excavations and other projects.

Within the ACE project, the RGK will organise the concluding colloquium in Frankfurt in 2012. In addition, it will contribute more specifically to the following themes:

Theme I - 'The significance of the past' - The Roman Limes and 'Fortress Europe'. What kinds of contemporary messages or 'food for thought' for today's European citizens can be found in the history of the Roman Empire, and specifically of the Roman Limes? How can we draw on this and other examples of our common heritage to address contemporary issues?
Theme II D - 'European archaeology and international development'. The RGK will provide data (initially RGK and DAI, then other institutions) for a better historical understanding, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, of the impact of German archaeology abroad since the 19th cent. (nature and scope of missions, public outreach in Germany and in other countries, degrees of collaboration etc.).
Theme III A - The archaeological profession - quantitative aspects. The RGK will serve as a coordinator of information on the status of the archaeological profession in Germany - in liaison with INRAP and Santiago.