Aachen

History

The site is occupied since the Neolithic . The basin of Aachen present of many sources which make a marshy zone of it. Also, in fact the heights (Lousberg) are occupied by the first men. Careers attest of their presence. The Celtic , the Romains were interested in the hot sources: according to the tradition, the city was rested by the Romain Grenus, under Hadrian, about year 124. Baths of a Roman military camp of the 1st century were discovered there. The Latin word aqua became in French Aix (Aix-en-Provence being also a town of Roman water).

The frank king Pépin the Brief builds a castle in Aix. The first document written on the city (765) mentions it like Aquis villa . His/her son Charlemagne appreciated the place and made of it its place of residence and the capital of the empire, building a palate whose splendid vault was going to become the cathedral. It is in Aix that into 802 the White elephant arrived, present of the caliph de Bagdad Harun rear-Rachid and that Charlemagne called Abul-Abbas. The emperor was buried in this vault in 814.

In 936, the Germanie king, Othon I {{er}}, wire of Henri Ier, was crowned in the cathedral. The emperors of the Saint Roman Empire were crowned in Aix during 600 years, the last being Ferdinand Ier in 1536. With the the Middle Ages, Aix was one of the more big cities of the empire, but it had then only one regional importance.

It remained free and imperial city until 1792, when Dumouriez seized some; catch and recovery since, it remained with the French of 1794 to 1814 and became under the Empire the chief town of the department of the Roer. In 1814, it was given to the Prussia

Three treaties famous, known as treated of Aachen , were signed there:

the peace of 1668, between the Spain and Louis XIV, which ensured France the possession of the Flanders;
the peace of 1748, which finished the War of succession of Austria: France restored its conquests in the Netherlands and the Savoy, and obtained for infant Don Philippe, son-in-law of Louis XV, the duchies of Parma and Plaisance.
the treaty of 1818, coming to conclude the congress where the the Holy Alliance shortened the time of the occupation of France.

Second world war

As a city located on the extreme Western border, Aachen undergoes the war in a particularly important way. In July 1941, a first attack air falls down on the city, four others will follow.

The October 21st 1944, at the end of six weeks of engagements, the city was the first German city to fall vis-a-vis the allied armies (Armed American) after the Bataille from Aachen: approximately 65% of the dwellings are then destroyed and the city counts nothing any more but 11 139 inhabitants. The principal buildings are rebuilt in 1945, but a total rebuilding cannot be considered yet. The Americans are replaced by British troops, then, in 1946, by Belgian troops.

The palate of Charlemagne

See also: Palate of Aachen

It was built at the 8th century on the orders of Charlemagne. Its architecture takes as a starting point the Roman and Byzantine traditions. Charlemagne resided at it of 801 at its death into 814; it is buried there.
At the 8th century, the Carolingian , originating in Austrasie, moved towards the North-East their residences. Paris took again importance only with the count Eudes, at the time of the invasions Normans. Charlemagne could not be established in Rome because it was the city of the Pope, the capital of the Papal States.
Charlemagne thus decided to be established in old Austrasie, the ground of its ancestors. Aachen at the end of the 8th century did not have anything a capital: it was an ancient thermal spa founded by the Romains. According to Eginhard (which wrote the book " life of Charlemagne" ), Charlemagne discovered it at the time of a shooting party. As he liked swimming, he made dig a swimming pool where 100 people could bathe at the same time.
the geographical location of Aachen in the Carolingian kingdom was an asset for the city. The new frank kingdom was resolutely centered on the Rhine. Also, the axis Rome/Aachen was the backbone of the Christian Occident under Charlemagne and Louis the Piles.
the provision of the buildings of the palate was imposed by the functions: dwelling, representation, worship, economy. It could be added other functions: administration, justice and school without forgetting the religious life closely related to the person of the Emperor: Aachen cumulated all these functions.
the town of Aix developed thanks to the palate.
the general meeting: the “fields of May” made new capital a high place of the policy, just as the assemblies: councils and synods.
royal justice went in the room of jurisdiction of the palate. It sheltered also a barracks of militate and a monetary workshop.
Charlemagne made of Aachen the seat of its court. Thus, the city became also a intellectual capital. Aix it Chapelle was regarded as a news Athens. The palate comprised a school (palatine school) which had the role of forming a new generation of counts, administrators knowing to read and write. It had an important library.

Charlemagne had created the Palatine Académie, a circle of well-read men reserved for the beautiful spirits close to the Emperor (court). Each one carried there a nickname borrowed from the history and the ancient letters: the king was David, Alcuin was Horace and Angilbert Homère, Théodulphe Pindare. One discussed literary or technological questions there. One read poems and speeches there. The court, the residence of Charlemagne, was also the reception point of the ambassadors: from where impressive dimensions of the palate. It is known that Charlemagne had wanted to compete with the palate of Constantinople: that feels initially in dimensions of the building. It is a rectangle on the ground of 180 Mr. the palate of Aix was twice less wide than that of the Byzantine Emperors. The royal room comprised three apses (of which one sheltered the imperial seat, in the west) like the Roman basilicas. The height of the royal room is also majestic: 20 meters. Two lines of windows ensured a perfect luminosity.

This construction testifies to the richnesses of Charlemagne but also to the will of originality of the Emperor: Aix had a completely new general plan with an external ordinance and an interior aspect originals.
the palatine vault:

Byzantine loans:

mosaic
cupola power stations
It is the basilica Saint-Vital (532-547) with Ravenne which was used as model; the architect adopted an octagonal and centered plan.

Roman influences:

mosaic on the ground (of an unknown artist however).
the Corinthian capitals, which are for certain re-employment, i.e. imported capitals of Italy.
Charlemagne (according to Pierre Riché) would undoubtedly be buried in an ancient fleshfly.

the vault, witness of the Carolingian rebirth: the arched room prepared the cathedrals; the decoration of the grids by propellers, daisies, braids, cords, interlacing is Carolingian. This original art of court had a radiation in all the Carolingian kingdom because the prelates and the palatine ones wanted to imitate the emperor.

the palatine school
Conclusion:

The palate of Charlemagne was built with a political and religious aim: the need for a capital of Empire, the desire for competing with Byzance, the will of independence vis-a-vis Rome were crucial factors for its construction. The palate became the place of centralization of the capacity and the favorite residence of a large prince. Louis the Piles remained there like his/her father, but with the territorial divisions of the empire, the capital and the palate were also prestigious and symbolic system only at the time of Charlemagne. Aachen was despite everything still in 843 at the time of the Traité of Verdun a stake, proof that it had marked the Carolingian dynasty after Charlemagne.

Events

Each year in May, the International prize Charlemagne ( Karlspreis ) is given to a personality which has work for the European cause.

In 2006, the city accommodated the world equestrian Jeux.

Every 7 years, the relics resting in Marienschrein ( the mounting of the Blessed Virgin Marie ) in the Cathedral are shown with the public. These relics would be the langes of Jesus, the dress of the Blessed Virgin, the fabric in whom would have been wrapped the head of Saint Jean the Baptist after his decapitation as well as fabric that Christ would have carried around the size at the time of the Crucifixion.

To see

Very interesting in this city, you will discover:

Cathedral containing the tombs of Charlemagne and Otton III. (registered with the World heritage of UNESCO.)
historical Town hall
Old city
Ponttor and Marschiertor (old doors of the city)
Elisenbrunnen (Fountain of Elects, one of the hot sources) and the theater of city, both built by Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Ehrenmal (remainders of the old enclosure of the city)
Elisabethhalle (historical baths with two rooms of architecture Art nouveau still of use.)
Point of the three countries ( Dreiländereck ) (border between Germany, Belgium and Netherlands)
Zoo Drimborner Wäldchen
Forêt of Aachen
the many sculptures which are disseminated with each corner of street

Economy

Aachen has an airport ( Merzbruck Airport , code AITA: AAH).

Twinnings

Others

Football: Alemannia Aachen (Division 2)
Universities:

technical Université from Rhineland-Westphalia to Aachen Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen RWTH
Academic institute of technology of Aachen Fachhochschule
connects academy of music of Cologne
Academic institute of catholic technology Katholische Fachhochschule

Partial source

See too

List of the bishops of Aachen

External bonds

Official site

Simple: Aachen

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