Aachen

Aachen(/ˈɑːkən/AH-kən,German:[ˈaːxn̩];Aachen dialect:Oche[ˈɔːxə];Dutch:Aken[ˈaːkə(n)]; French:Aix-la-Chapelle;Latin:Aquae GranniorAquisgranum) is the13th-largest cityinNorth Rhine-Westphaliaand the27th-largest cityof Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants.
Aachen is located at the northern foothills of theHigh Fensand theEifelMountains. It sits on theWurm River, a tributary of theRur, and together withMönchengladbach, it is the only larger German city in thedrainage basinof theMeuse. It is the westernmost larger city in Germany, lying approximately 61 km (38 mi) west ofCologneandBonn, directly borderingBelgiumin the southwest, and theNetherlandsin the northwest. The city lies in theMeuse–Rhine Euroregionand is the seat of thedistrict of Aachen(Städteregion Aachen).
The onceCelticsettlement was equipped with severalthermaein the course of colonization byRomanpioneers settling at the warmAachen thermal springsaround the 1st century. After the withdrawal of the Roman troops, thevicusAquae GranniwasFrankizedaround the 5th century. This was followed by a period ofsedentismunder firstMerovingianand thenCarolingianrule. With the completion of the CarolingianPalace of Aachenat the transition to the 9th century, Aachen was constituted as the main royal residence of theFrankish Empireruled byCharlemagne. Because of that the city is sometimes called "cradle of Europe".After theTreaty of Verdun, the city was within the borders ofMiddle Francia, until it became part ofEast Franciaafter theTreaty of Meerssen(870). It subsequently was part of theHoly Roman Empireand was granted city rights in 1166 by EmperorFrederick Barbarossa, becoming animperial city. It served as the coronation site where 31 Holy Roman Emperors were crownedKings of the Germansfrom 936 to 1531, untilFrankfurt am Mainbecame the preferred place of coronation.
One of Germany's leading institutes of higher education in technology, theRWTH Aachen University(Rheinisch-Westfälisch Technische Hochschule Aachen), is located in the city. Its university hospitalUniklinikum Aachenis Europe's largest single-building hospital. Aachen's industries include science, engineering and information technology. In 2009, Aachen was ranked eighth among cities in Germany for innovation.
Theregional dialectspoken in the city is aCentral Franconian,Ripuarianvariant with strongLimburgishinfluences from the dialects in the neighbouring Netherlands. As aRhenishcity, Aachen is one of the main centres ofcarnivalcelebrationsin Germany, along withCologneandMainz. Theculinaryspecialty for which the city is best known isAachener Printen, a type ofgingerbread.
The nameAachenis a modern descendant, like southern GermanAch(e), German:Aach, meaning "river" or "stream", fromOld High Germanahha, meaning "water" or "stream", which directly translates (and etymologically corresponds) toLatinAquae, referring to the springs. The location has been inhabited by humans since theNeolithicera, about 5,000 years ago, attracted to its warmmineral springs. LatinAquaefigures in Aachen'sRomannameAquae granni, which meant "waters ofGrannus", referring to theCelticgod of healing who was worshipped at the springs.This word becameÅxheinWalloonandAixin French, and subsequentlyAix-la-Chapelleto distinguish it fromAix-en-Provence, afterCharlemagnehad hispalatine chapelbuilt there in the late 8th century and then made the city his empire's capital.
The city is known by a variety of different names in other languages:
Flint quarries on theLousberg, Schneeberg, and Königshügel, first used duringNeolithictimes (3000–2500 BC), attest to the long occupation of the site of Aachen, as do recent finds under the modern city'sElisengartenpointing to a former settlement from the same period.Bronze Age(around 1600 BC) settlement is evidenced by the remains of barrows (burial mounds) found, for example, on the Klausberg. During theIron Age, the area was settled by Celtic peopleswho were perhaps drawn by the marshy Aachen basin'shot sulphur springswhere they worshippedGrannus, god of light and healing.
The 25-hectare Roman spa resort town of Aquae Granni was, according to legend, founded by Grenus, underHadrian, around 124 AD. Grenus refers to the Celtic god, and it seems it was the Roman 6th Legion at the start of the 1st century AD that first channelled the hot springs into a spa at Büchel,adding at the end of the same century theMünsterthermespa,two water pipelines, and a probablesanctuary dedicated to Grannus. A kind of forum, surrounded by colonnades, connected the two spa complexes. There was an extensive residential area. The Romans built bathhouses nearBurtscheid. A temple precinct calledVernenumwas built near the modernKornelimünster/Walheim. Today, remains have been found of three bathhouses,including two fountains in theElisenbrunnenand the Burtscheid bathhouse.
Roman civil administration in Aachen eventually broke down as the baths and other public buildings (along with most of thevillae rusticaeof the surrounding countryside) were destroyed around AD 375 at the start of themigration period. The last Roman coin finds are from the time of EmperorGratian(AD 375–383). Rome withdrew its troops from the area, but the town remained populated. By 470, the town came to be ruled by theRipuarian Franksand subordinated to their capital,Cologne. During the Roman period, Aachen was the site of a flourishing Jewish community.
Pepin the Shorthad a castle residence built in the town,due to the proximity of the hot springs and also for strategic reasons as it is located between theRhinelandand northern France.Einhardmentions that in 765–766 Pepin spent both Christmas and Easter atAquis villa(Et celebravit natalem Domini in Aquis villa et pascha similiter)("and [he] celebrated the birth of the Lord [Christmas] in the town Aquis, and similarly Easter"), which must have been sufficiently equipped to support the royal household for several months. In the year of his coronation as king of theFranks, 768,Charlemagnecame to spend Christmas at Aachen for the first time.He remained there in a mansion which he may have extended, although there is no source attesting to any significant building activity at Aachen in his time, apart from the building of thePalatine Chapel(since 1930, cathedral) and thePalace.
Charlemagne spent most winters in Aachen between 792 and his death in 814. Aachen became the focus of his court and the political centre of his empire. During theCarolingianempire, a Jewish community lived near the royal palace. In Jewish texts, the city of Aachen was calledAishorAsh(אש). In 797, Isaac, a Jewish merchant, accompanied two ambassadors ofCharlemagneto the court ofHarun al-Rashid. He returned to Aachen in July 802, bearing an elephant calledAbul-Abbasas a gift for the emperor.After Charlemagne's death, he was buried in the church which he had built;his original tomb has been lost, while his alleged remains are preserved in theKarlsschrein, the shrine where he was reburied after being declared a saint; his saintliness, however, was never officially acknowledged by the Roman Curia as such.
In 936,Otto Iwas crowned king ofEast Franciain the collegiate church built by Charlemagne. During the reign ofOtto II, the nobles revolted and theWest FranksunderLothairraided Aachenin 978.Aachen was attacked again byOdo of Champagne, who attacked theimperial palacewhileConrad IIwas absent. Odo relinquished it and was killed afterwards.The palace and town of Aachen had fortifying walls built by order of EmperorFrederick Barbarossabetween 1172 and 1176.Over the next 500 years, most kings ofGermanywho ruled theHoly Roman Empirewere crowned in Aachen. The original audience hall built by Charlemagne was torn down and replaced by the currentcity hallin 1330.During the 13th century, many Jews converted to Christianity, as shown in the records of theAachen Minster(today's Cathedral). In 1486, the Jews of Aachen offered gifts toMaximilian Iduring his coronation ceremony. The last king to be crowned here wasFerdinand Iin 1531.
During theMiddle Ages, Aachen remained a city of regional importance, due to its proximity toFlanders; it achieved a modest position in the trade inwoollencloths, favoured by imperial privilege. The city remained afree imperial city, subject to the emperor only, but was politically far too weak to influence the policies of any of its neighbours. The only dominion it had was overBurtscheid, a neighbouring territory ruled by aBenedictineabbess, which was forced to accept that all of its traffic must pass through the "Aachener Reich".
As an imperial city, Aachen held certain political privileges that allowed it to remain independentof the troubles of Europe for many years. It remained a direct vassal of the Holy Roman Empire throughout most of the Middle Ages. It was also the site of many important church councils, including theCouncil of 837and theCouncil of 1166, a council convened by theantipopePaschal III.
Aachen was an important site for the production of historical manuscripts. Under Charlemagne's purview, both theAda Gospelsand theCoronation Gospelsmay have been produced in Aachen.In addition, quantities of the other texts in the court library were also produced locally. During the reign ofLouis the Pious(814–840), substantial quantities of ancient texts were produced at Aachen, including legal manuscripts such as the leges scriptorium group,patristictexts including the five manuscripts of theBamberg Pliny Group.Finally, underLothair I(840–855), texts of outstanding quality were still being produced. This however marked the end of the period of manuscript production at Aachen.
In 1598, following the invasion ofSpanishtroops from theNetherlands,Rudolfdeposed allProtestantoffice holders in Aachen and went as far as expelling them from the city.From the early 16th century, Aachen started to lose its power and influence. First thecoronations of emperorswere moved from Aachen toFrankfurt. This was followed by thereligious warsand the great fire of 1656.After the destruction of most of the city in 1656, the rebuilding was mostly in theBaroquestyle.The decline of Aachen culminated in 1794, when the French, led by GeneralCharles Dumouriez,occupied Aachen.
In 1542, the Dutchhumanistand physicianFrancis Fabriciuspublished his study of the health benefits of the hot springs in Aachen.By the middle of the 17th century, the city had developed a considerable reputation as a spa, although this was in part because Aachen was then – and remained well into the 19th and early 20th century – a place of high-level prostitution.Traces of this hidden agenda of the city's history are found in the 18th-century guidebooks to Aachen as well as to the other spas.
The mainindicationfor visiting patients, ironically, wassyphilis; only by the end of the 19th century hadrheumatismbecome the most important object of cures at Aachen and Burtscheid.
Aachen was chosen as the site of several important congresses and peace treaties: thefirst congress of Aachen(often referred to as the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle in English) on 2 May 1668,leading to theFirst Treaty of Aachenin the same year which ended theWar of Devolution.Thesecond congressended with thesecond treatyin 1748, ending theWar of the Austrian Succession.In 1789, there was a constitutional crisis in the Aachen government,and in 1794 Aachen lost its status as afree imperial city.
In 1629, the Aachen Jewish community was expelled from the city. In 1667, six Jews were allowed to return. Most of the Aachen Jewish community settled in Burtscheid. As recently as the late 18th century the Abbess of Burtscheid was still prevented from building a road linking her territory to the neighbouring estates of theduke of Jülich; the city of Aachen deployed its handful of soldiers to chase away road-diggers.
On 9 February 1801, thePeace of Lunévilleremoved the ownership of Aachen and the entire "left bank" of the Rhine from Germany (theHoly Roman Empire) and granted it to France.In 1815, control of the town was passed to theKingdom of Prussiathrough an agreement reached by theCongress of Vienna.Thethird congresstook place in 1818, to decide the fate of occupiedNapoleonicFrance.
By the middle of the 19th century, industrialisation had swept away most of the city's medieval rules of production and commerce, although the remains of the city's medieval constitution were kept in place until 1801, when Aachen became the "chef-lieududépartement de la Roer" in Napoleon'sFirst French Empire. In 1815, after theNapoleonic Wars, theKingdom of Prussiatook over within the newGerman Confederation. The city was one of its most socially and politically backward centres until the end of the 19th century.Administered within theRhine Province, by 1880 the population was 80,000. Starting in 1838, the railway fromColognetoBelgiumpassed through Aachen.The city suffered extreme overcrowding and deplorable sanitary conditions until 1875, when the medieval fortifications were abandoned as a limit to building and new, better housing was built in the east of the city, where sanitary drainage was easiest. In December 1880, theAachen tramway networkwas opened, and in 1895 it was electrified.In the 19th century and up to the 1930s, the city was important in the production of railway locomotives and carriages, iron, pins,needles, buttons, tobacco, woollen goods, and silk goods.
AfterWorld War I, Aachen was occupied by the Entente until 1930, along with the rest of German territory west of the Rhine.Aachen was one of the locations involved in theRhenish Republic. On 21 October 1923, an armed mob took over the city hall. Similar actions took place inMönchengladbach,Duisburg, andKrefeld. This republic lasted about a year.
Aachen was heavily damaged duringWorld War II. According toJörg FriedrichinThe Fire(2008), two Allied air raids on 11 April and 24 May 1944 "radically destroyed" the city. The first killed 1,525, including 212 children, and bombed six hospitals. During the second, 442 aircraft hit two railway stations, killed 207, and left 15,000 homeless. The raids destroyedAachen-EilendorfandAachen-Burtscheid.
The city and its fortified surroundings were besieged from 12 September to 21 October 1944 by the US 1st Infantry Divisionwith the 3rd Armored Division assisting from the south.Around 13 October the US 2nd Armored Division, coming from the north, and got as close asWürselen,while the 30th Infantry Division completed the encirclement of Aachen on 16 October 1944.With reinforcements from the US 28th Infantry Divisionthe battle continued involving direct assaults through the heavily defended city, which forced the German garrison to surrender on 21 October 1944.
Aachen was the first German city to be captured by the Western Allies, and its residents welcomed the soldiers as liberators.What remained of the city was destroyed—in some areas completely—during the fighting,mostly by Americanartilleryfire and demolitions carried out by theWaffen-SSdefenders. Damaged buildings included medieval churches of and theRathaus(city hall), althoughAachen Cathedralwas largely unscathed. 4,000 inhabitants remained in the city; the rest had followed evacuation orders. Its first Allied-appointed mayor,Franz Oppenhoff, was assassinated by an SS commando unit.
On 16 May 1815, theJewish communityof the city offered an homage in its synagogue to the Prussian king,Friedrich Wilhelm III.In 1862, a large synagogue was built, later called theOld Synagogue[de;fr;id]. By 1933, 1,345 Jews lived in the city. OnKristallnachtin 1938, the synagogue was destroyed. By the onset ofWorld War IIin 1939, many Jews had emigrated or were arrested, and only 782 remained in the city. At the end of the war in 1945, only 62 Jews lived in the city. As of 2003, 1,434 Jews were again living in Aachen.
The city of Aachen has developed into a technology hub as a by-product of hosting one of the leadinguniversities of technologyin Germany with theRWTH Aachen(Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule), known especially for mechanical engineering, automotive and manufacturing technology as well as for its research and academic hospitalKlinikum Aachen, one of the largest medical facilities in Europe.
Aachen is located in the middle of theMeuse–Rhine Euroregion, close tothe border tripoint of Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The town ofVaalsin the Netherlands lies nearby at about 6 km (4 mi) from Aachen's city centre, while the Dutch city ofHeerlenandEupen, the capital of theGerman-speaking Community of Belgium, are both located about 20 km (12 mi) from Aachen city centre. Aachen lies near the head of the open valley of theWurm(which today flows through the city in canalised form), part of the larger basin of theMeuse, and about 30 km (19 mi) north of theHigh Fens, which form the northern edge of theEifeluplands of theRhenish Massif.
The maximum dimensions of the city's territory are21.6 km (13+3⁄8mi) from north to south, and17.2 km (10+3⁄4mi) from east to west. The city limits are87.7 km (54+1⁄2mi) long, of which23.8 km (14+3⁄4mi) border Belgium and21.8 km (13+1⁄2mi) the Netherlands. The highest point in Aachen, located in the far southeast of the city, lies at an elevation of 410 m (1,350 ft) above sea level. The lowest point, in the north, and on the border with the Netherlands, is at 125 m (410 ft).
As the westernmost city in Germany(and close to the Low Countries), Aachen and the surrounding area belongs to atemperateclimate zone(Cfb), with humid weather, mild winters, and warm summers. Because of its location north of theEifeland theHigh Fensand its subsequent prevailing westerly weather patterns, rainfall in Aachen (on average 805 mm/year) is comparatively higher than, for example, inBonn(with 669 mm/year). Another factor in the local weather forces of Aachen is the occurrence ofFoehn windson the southerly air currents, which results from the city's geographic location on the northern edge of the Eifel.
Because the city is surrounded by hills, it suffers frominversion-relatedsmog. Some areas of the city have becomeurban heat islandsas a result of poor heat exchange, both because of the area's natural geography and from human activity. The city's numerous cold air corridors, which are slated to remain as free as possible from new construction, therefore play an important role in the urban climate of Aachen.
The January average is
3.0 °C (37 °F), while the July average is 18.5 °C (65 °F). Precipitation is almost evenly spread throughout the year.
The city's oceanic climate provides comparably mild winters: While Aachen falls within the coldest extents covered byUSDA plant hardiness zone8b in the 1991–2020 period, having an average yearly minimum of -9.22 °C (15.4 °F), the Canadian city ofRegina, Saskatchewanwhich is located at a similar latitude but at the heart of the North American landmass, far away from the sea's moderating effects, is classified as being in zone 3a.
In the 1991–2020 period, the last freeze (at 2 m above ground) of spring occcured on April 28th and the first fall freeze on October 13th, on average.
The Aachen weather station has recorded the following extreme values:
The geology of Aachen is very structurally heterogeneous. The oldest occurring rocks in the area surrounding the city originate from theDevonianperiod and includecarboniferoussandstone,greywacke,claystoneandlimestone. These formations are part of theRhenish Massif, north of the High Fens. In thePennsylvaniansubperiod of theCarboniferousgeological period, these rock layers were narrowed and folded as a result of theVariscan orogeny. After this event, and over the course of the following 200 million years, this area has been continuously flattened.
During theCretaceousperiod, the ocean penetrated the continent from the direction of theNorth Seaup to the mountainous area near Aachen, bringing with it clay, sand, and chalk deposits. While the clay (which was the basis for a majorpotteryindustry in nearbyRaeren) is mostly found in the lower areas of Aachen, the hills of theAachen Forestand theLousbergwere formed from upper Cretaceous sand and chalk deposits. More recent sedimentation is mainly located in the north and east of Aachen and was formed throughtertiaryandquaternaryriver and wind activities.
Along the majorthrust faultof theVariscan orogeny, there are over 30thermal springsin Aachen andBurtscheid. Additionally, the subsurface of Aachen is traversed by numerousactive faultsthat belong to the Rurgraben fault system, which has been responsible for numerous earthquakes in the past, including the 1756Dürenearthquakeand the1992 Roermond earthquake,which was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in theNetherlands.
Aachen has 245,885 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2015), of whom 118,272 are female, and 127,613 are male.
At the end of 2009, the foreign-born residents of Aachen made up 13.6 percent of the total population.A significant portion of foreign residents are students at theRWTH Aachen University.
Aachen is at the western end of theBenrath linethat dividesHigh Germanto the south from the rest of theWest Germanicspeech area to the north.Aachen's local dialect is calledÖcher Plattand belongs toRipuarian.
The city is divided into seven administrative districts, or boroughs, each with its own district council, district leader, and district authority. The councils are elected locally by those who live within the district, and these districts are further subdivided into smaller sections for statistical purposes, with each sub-district named by a two-digit number.
The districts of Aachen, including their constituent statistical districts, are:
Regardless of official statistical designations, there are 50 neighbourhoods and communities within Aachen, here arranged by district:
The following cities and communities border Aachen, clockwise from the northwest:Herzogenrath,Würselen,Eschweiler,StolbergandRoetgen(which are all in thedistrict of Aachen);Raeren,KelmisandPlombières(Liège Provincein Belgium) as well asVaals,Gulpen-Wittem,Simpelveld,HeerlenandKerkrade(all inLimburg Provincein the Netherlands).
The current mayor of Aachen isSibylle Keupen, anindependentendorsed byAlliance 90/The Greens, since 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September, and the results were as follows:
The Aachen city council governs the city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:
Aachen Cathedral was erected on the orders ofCharlemagne. Construction beganc.AD 796,and it was, on completionc.798,the largest cathedral north of theAlps. It was modelled after theBasilica of San Vitale, inRavenna, Italy,and was built byOdo of Metz.Charlemagne also desired for the chapel to compete with theLateran Palace, both in quality and authority.It was originally built in theCarolingianstyle, including marble covered walls, and mosaic inlay on the dome.On his death, Charlemagne's remains were interred in the cathedral and can be seen there to this day. The cathedral was extended several times in later ages, turning it into a curious and unique mixture of building styles. The throne and gallery portion date from theOttonian, with portions of the originalopus sectilefloor still visible.The 13th century saw gables being added to the roof, and after the fire of 1656, the dome was rebuilt. Finally, achoirwas added around the start of the 15th century.
AfterFrederick BarbarossacanonisedCharlemagne in 1165 the chapel became adestination for pilgrims.For 600 years, from 936 to 1531, Aachen Cathedral was the church of coronation for 30 German kings and 12 queens. The church built by Charlemagne is still the main attraction of the city.In addition to holding the remains of its founder, it became the burial place of his successorOtto III. In the upper chamber of the gallery, Charlemagne's marble throne is housed.Aachen Cathedral has been designated as aUNESCO World Heritage Site.
Most of the marble and columns used in the construction of the cathedral were brought from Rome andRavenna, including thesarcophagusin which Charlemagne was eventually laid to rest.A bronze bear fromGaulwas placed inside, along with an equestrian statue from Ravenna, believed to beTheodric, in contrast to a wolf and a statue ofMarcus Aureliusin theCapitoline.Bronze pieces such as the doors and railings, some of which have survived to present day, were cast in a local foundry. Finally, there is uncertainty surrounding the bronze pine cone in the chapel, and where it was created. Wherever it was made, it was also a parallel to a piece in Rome, this inOld St. Peter's Basilica.
Aachen Cathedral Treasury has housed, throughout its history, a collection of liturgical objects. The origin of thischurch treasureis in dispute as some say Charlemagne himself endowed his chapel with the original collection, while the rest were collected over time. Others say all of the objects were collected over time, from such places asJerusalemandConstantinople.The location of this treasury has moved over time and was unknown until the 15th century when it was located in the Matthiaskapelle (St. Matthew's Chapel) until 1873, when it was moved to the Karlskapelle (Charles' Chapel). From there it was moved to the Hungarian Chapel in 1881 and in 1931 to its present location next to the Allerseelenkapelle (Poor Souls' Chapel).Only six of the originalCarolingianobjects have remained, and of those only three are left in Aachen: theAachen Gospels, adiptychof Christ, and an earlyByzantine silk. TheCoronation Gospelsand areliquary burseofSt. Stephenwere moved toViennain 1798 and theTalisman of Charlemagnewas given as a gift in 1804 toJosephine Bonaparteand subsequently toRheims Cathedral.210 documented pieces have been added to the treasury since its inception, typically to receive in return legitimisation of linkage to the heritage of Charlemagne. TheLothar Cross, theGospels of Otto IIIand multiple additional Byzantine silks were donated byOtto III. Part of thePala d'Oroand a covering for theAachen Gospelswere made of gold donated byHenry II.Frederick Barbarossadonated the candelabrum that adorns the dome and also once "crowned" theShrine of Charlemagne, which was placed underneath in 1215.Charles IVdonated a pair of reliquaries.Louis XIgave, in 1475, the crown ofMargaret of York, and, in 1481, another arm reliquary of Charlemagne.Maximilian IandCharles Vboth gave numerous works of art byHans von Reutlingen.Continuing the tradition, objects continued to be donated until the present, each indicative of the period of its gifting, with the last documented gift being a chalice from 1960 made byEwald Mataré.
The Aachen Rathaus, (English: Aachen City Hall or Aachen Town Hall) dated from 1330,lies between two central squares, theMarkt(marketplace) and theKatschhof(between city hall and cathedral). The coronation hall is on the first floor of the building. Inside one can find five frescoes by the Aachen artistAlfred Rethelwhich show legendary scenes from the life of Charlemagne, as well as Charlemagne's signature. Also, precious replicas of theImperial Regaliaare kept here.
Since 2009, the city hall has been a station on theRoute Charlemagne, a tour programme by which historical sights of Aachen are presented to visitors. At the city hall, a museum exhibition explains the history and art of the building and gives a sense of the historical coronation banquets that took place there. A portrait ofNapoleonfrom 1807 byLouis-André-Gabriel Bouchetand one of his wifeJoséphinefrom 1805 byRobert Lefèvreare viewable as part of the tour.
As before, the city hall is the seat of the mayor of Aachen and of the city council, and annually theCharlemagne Prizeis awarded there.
TheGrashaus, a late medieval house at theFischmarkt, is one of the oldest non-religious buildings in central Aachen. It hosted the city archive, and before that, the Grashaus was the city hall until the present building took over this function.
TheElisenbrunnenis one of the most famous sights of Aachen. It is a neo-classical hall covering one of the city's famous fountains. It is just a minute away from the cathedral. Just a few steps in a south-easterly direction lies the 19th-centurytheatre.
Also of note are two remaining city gates, thePonttor(Pont gate),800 metres (1⁄2mile) northwest of the cathedral, and theMarschiertor(marching gate), close to the central railway station. There are also a few parts of both medieval city walls left, most of them integrated into more recent buildings, but some others still visible. There are even five towers left, some of which are used for housing.
St. Michael's Church, Aachenwas built as a church of the AachenJesuitCollegium in 1628. It is attributed to the Rhinemannerism, and a sample of a localRenaissance architecture. The rich façade remained unfinished until 1891, when the architect Peter Friedrich Peters added to it. The church is aGreek Orthodoxchurch today, but the building is used also for concerts because of its good acoustics.
The synagogue in Aachen, which was destroyed on theNight of Broken Glass(Kristallnacht), 9 November 1938, was reinaugurated on 18 May 1995.One of the contributors to the reconstructions of the synagogue wasJürgen Linden, the Lord Mayor of Aachen from 1989 to 2009.
There are numerous other notable churches andmonasteries, a few remarkable 17th- and 18th-century buildings in the particularBaroquestyle typical of the region, a synagogue, a collection of statues and monuments, park areas, cemeteries, among others. Among the museums in the town are theSuermondt-Ludwig Museum, which has a fine sculpture collection and theAachen Museum of the International Press, which is dedicated to newspapers from the 16th century to the present.The area's industrial history is reflected in dozens of 19th- and early 20th-century manufacturing sites in the city.
Aachen is the administrative centre for the coal-mining industries in neighbouring places to the northeast.
Products manufactured in Aachen include electrical goods,fine woolentextiles, foodstuffs (chocolate and candy), glass, machinery, rubber products, furniture, metal products.Also in and aroundAachen chemicals, plastics, cosmetics, and needles and pins are produced.Though once a major player in Aachen's economy, today glassware and textile production make up only 10% of total manufacturing jobs in the city.There have been a number of spin-offs from the university'sITtechnology department.
In June 2010, Achim Kampker, together with Günther Schuh, founded a small company to develop electric powered light utility vehicles; in August 2014, it was renamedStreetScooterGmbH. This started as a privately organised research initiative at theRWTH Aachen University, before becoming the independent company in Aachen. Kampker was also the founder and chairman of the European Network for Affordable and Sustainable Electromobility. In May 2014, the company announced that the city of Aachen, the city council Aachen and the savings bank Aachen had ordered electric vehicles from the company. In late 2014, approximately 70 employees were manufacturing 200 vehicles annually in the premises of theWaggonfabrik Talbot, the former Talbot/Bombardier plant in Aachen.
In December 2014DHL Grouppurchased the StreetScooter company from Günther, operating it as a wholly owned subsidiary.
In 2015, Günther founded a new electric vehicle company,e.GO Mobile, which started producing the e.GO Life electric passenger car and other vehicles in April 2019.
By April 2016, StreetScooter announced that it would produce 2000 of its electric vans, branded the Work, in Aachen by the end of the year, and would be scaling up to manufacture approximately 10,000 Works annually, starting in 2017, also in Aachen.At the time, this target would make it the largest electric light utility vehicle manufacturer in Europe, surpassingRenault's smallerKangoo Z.E.
RWTH Aachen University, established as Polytechnicum in 1870, is one ofGermany's Universities of Excellencewith strong emphasis on technological research, especially for electrical and mechanical engineering, computer sciences, physics, and chemistry. The university clinic attached to the RWTH, theKlinikum Aachen, is the biggest single-building hospital in Europe.Over time, a host of software and computer industries have developed around the university. It also maintains abotanical garden(theBotanischer Garten Aachen).
FH Aachen, Aachen University of Applied Sciences (AcUAS) was founded in 1971. The AcUAS offers a classic engineering education in professions such asmechatronics, construction engineering, mechanical engineering or electrical engineering. German and international students are educated in more than 20 international or foreign-oriented programmes and can acquire German as well as international degrees (Bachelor/Master) orDoppelabschlüsse(double degrees). Foreign students account for more than 21% of the student body.
The Katholische Hochschule Nordrhein-Westfalen – Abteilung Aachen (Catholic University of Applied Sciences Northrhine-Westphalia – Aachen department)offers its some 750 students a variety of degree programmes: social work, childhood education, nursing, and co-operative management. It also has the only programme of study in Germany especially designed for mothers.
TheHochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln(Cologne University of Music) is one of the world's foremost performing arts schools and one of the largest music institutions for higher education in Europewith one of its three campuses in Aachen.The Aachen campus substantially contributes to the Opera/Musical Theatre master's programme by collaborating with theTheater Aachenand the recently established musical theatre chair through the Rheinische Opernakademie.
TheGerman army's Technical School (Ausbildungszentrum Technik Landsysteme) is in Aachen.
The annualCHIO(short for the French termConcours Hippique International Officiel) is the biggestequestrianmeeting of the world and among horsemen is considered to be as prestigious for equitation as the tournament ofWimbledonfor tennis. Aachen hosted the2006 FEI World Equestrian Games.
The localfootballteamAlemannia Aachenhad a short run in Germany'sfirst division, after its promotion in 2006. However, the team could not sustain its status and is now back in the third division. The stadium"Tivoli", opened in 1928, served as the venue for the team's home games and was well known for its incomparable atmosphere throughout the whole of the second division.Before the old stadium's demolition in 2011, it was used by amateurs, whilst the Bundesliga Club held its games in the new stadium "Neuer Tivoli" – meaningNew Tivoli—a couple of metres down the road. The building work for the stadium which has a capacity of 32,960, began in May 2008 and was completed by the beginning of 2009.
The Ladies in Black women's volleyball team (part of the "PTSV Aachen" sports club since 2013) has played in the first German volleyball league (DVL) since 2008.
In June 2022, the local basketball club BG Aachen e.V. was promoted to the 1st regional league.
Aachen's railway station, theHauptbahnhof(Central Station), was constructed in 1841 for theCologne–Aachen railway line. In 1905, it was moved closer to the city centre. It serves main lines to Cologne,MönchengladbachandLiègeas well as branch lines toHeerlen,Alsdorf,StolbergandEschweiler.ICE high speed trainsfromBrusselsviaColognetoFrankfurt am MainandEurostartrains from Paris to Cologne also stop at Aachen Central Station. FourRElines and twoRBlines connect Aachen with theRuhrgebiet, Mönchengladbach, Spa (Belgium),Düsseldorfand theSiegerland. TheEuregiobahn, a regional railway system, reaches several minor cities in the Aachen region.
There are four smaller stations in Aachen:Aachen West,Aachen Schanz,Aachen-Rothe ErdeandEilendorf. Slower trains stop at these. Aachen West has gained in importance with the expansion ofRWTH Aachen University.
There are two stations forintercity bus servicesin Aachen:Aachen West station, in the north-west of the city, and Aachen Wilmersdorfer Straße, in the north-east.
The first horse tram line in Aachen opened in December 1880. After electrification in 1895, it attained a maximum length of213.5 kilometres (132+5⁄8miles) in 1915, thus becoming the fourth-longest tram network in Germany. Many tram lines extended to the surrounding towns ofHerzogenrath,Stolberg,Alsdorfas well as the Belgian and Dutch communes ofVaals,Kelmis(thenAltenberg) andEupen. The Aachen tram system was linked with theBelgian national interurban tram system. Like many tram systems in Western Europe, the Aachen tram suffered from poorly-maintained infrastructure and was so deemed unnecessary and disrupting for car drivers by local politics. On 28 September 1974, the last line 15 (Vaals–Brand) operated for one last day and was then replaced by buses. A proposal to reinstate a tram/light rail system under the nameCampusbahnwas dropped after a referendum.
Today, the ASEAG (Aachener Straßenbahn und Energieversorgungs-AG, literally "Aachen tram and power supply company") operates a 1,240.8-kilometre-long (771 mi) bus network with 68 bus routes. Because of the location at the border, many bus routes extend to Belgium and the Netherlands. Lines 14 to Eupen, Belgium and 44 to Heerlen, Netherlands are jointly operated withTransport en CommunandVeolia Transport Nederland, respectively. ASEAG is one of the main participants in the Aachener Verkehrsverbund (AVV), a tariff association in the region. Along with ASEAG, city bus routes of Aachen are served by private contractors such as Sadar, Taeter, Schlömer, orDB Regio Bus. Line 350, which runs fromMaastricht, also enters Aachen.
Aachen is connected to theAutobahnA4(west-east),A44(north-south) and A544 (a smaller motorway from the A4 to theEuropaplatznear the city centre). There are plans to eliminate traffic jams at the Aachen road interchange.
Maastricht Aachen Airport(IATA:MST,ICAO:EHBK) is the main airport of Aachen andMaastricht. It is located around 15 nautical miles (28 kilometres; 17 miles) northwest of Aachen. There is a shuttle-service between Aachen and the airport.
Recreational aviation is served by the (formerly military)Aachen Merzbrück Airfield.
Since 1950, a committee of Aachen citizens annually awards the Charlemagne Prize (German:Karlspreis) to personalities of outstanding service to the unification of Europe. It is traditionally awarded onAscension Dayat theCity Hall. In 2016, the Charlemagne Award was awarded toPope Francis.
The International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen was awarded in the year 2000 to US presidentBill Clinton, for his special personal contribution to co-operation with the states of Europe, for the preservation of peace, freedom, democracy andhuman rights in Europe, and for his support of the enlargement of the European Union. In 2004,Pope John Paul II's efforts to unite Europe were honoured with an "Extraordinary Charlemagne Medal", which was awarded for the only time ever.
Aix is the destination inRobert Browning's poem "How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix", which was published inDramatic Romances and Lyrics, 1845.The poem is a first-person narrative told, in breathless galloping meter, by one of three riders; an urgent midnight errand to deliver "the news which alone could save Aix from her fate".
Aachen istwinnedwith: