Editing Aachen (section)

== Main sights ==

=== Cathedral ===
{{Main|Aachen Cathedral}}
[[File:Aachen Germany Imperial-Cathedral-01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Aachen Cathedral]]

Aachen Cathedral was erected on the orders of [[Charlemagne]]. Construction began ''c.'' AD 796,{{sfn|Bayer|2000|p=?}} and it was, on completion ''c.'' 798,<ref name="McClendon 1996a-2">{{harvnb|McClendon|1996a|p=2}}.</ref> the largest cathedral north of the [[Alps]]. It was modelled after the [[Basilica of San Vitale]], in [[Ravenna]], Italy,<ref name="Ranson 1998" /> and was built by [[Odo of Metz]].{{sfn|Bayer|2000|p=?}} Charlemagne also desired for the chapel to compete with the [[Lateran Palace]], both in quality and authority.<ref name="Gaehde 1996" /> It was originally built in the [[Carolingian architecture|Carolingian]] style, including marble covered walls, and mosaic inlay on the dome.<ref name="McClendon 1996a-3">{{harvnb|McClendon|1996a|p=3}}.</ref> 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 the [[Ottonian dynasty|Ottonian]], with portions of the original [[opus sectile]] floor still visible.<ref name="McClendon 1996a-3" /> The 13th century saw gables being added to the roof, and after the fire of 1656, the dome was rebuilt. Finally, a [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] was added around the start of the 15th century.<ref name="McClendon 1996a-4" />

After [[Frederick Barbarossa]] [[Canonisation|canonised]] Charlemagne in 1165 the chapel became a [[Pilgrimage|destination for pilgrims]].<ref name="McClendon 1996a-4" /> 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.<ref>{{harvnb|City of Aachen|2013}}.</ref> In addition to holding the remains of its founder, it became the burial place of his successor [[Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto III]]. In the upper chamber of the gallery, Charlemagne's marble throne is housed.<ref name="Young">{{harvnb|Young|Stetler|1987|p=273}}.</ref> Aachen Cathedral has been designated as a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]].<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Aachen |title=Aachen {{!}} Germany |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=26 July 2017 |archive-date=8 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808091015/https://www.britannica.com/place/Aachen |url-status=live }}</ref>

Most of the marble and columns used in the construction of the cathedral were brought from Rome and [[Ravenna]], including the [[sarcophagus]] in which Charlemagne was eventually laid to rest.<ref name="Gaehde 1996">{{harvnb|Gaehde|1996|p=4}}.</ref> A bronze bear from [[Gaul]] was placed inside, along with an equestrian statue from Ravenna, believed to be [[Theodric]], in contrast to a wolf and a statue of [[Marcus Aurelius]] in the [[Capitoline]].<ref name="Gaehde 1996" /> 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 in [[Old St. Peter's Basilica]].<ref name="Gaehde 1996" />

=== Cathedral Treasury ===
{{Main|Aachen Cathedral Treasury}}[[File:Aachen Germany Domschatz Cross-of-Lothair-01.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Cross of Lothair]], Aachen Cathedral Treasury]]

Aachen Cathedral Treasury has housed, throughout its history, a collection of liturgical objects. The origin of this [[church treasure]] is 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 as [[Jerusalem]] and [[Constantinople]].<ref name="Gaehde 1996" /> 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).<ref name="Gaehde 1996" /> Only six of the original [[Carolingian Empire|Carolingian]] objects have remained, and of those only three are left in Aachen: the [[Aachen Gospels (Ada School)|Aachen Gospels]], a [[diptych]] of Christ, and an early [[Byzantine silk]]. The [[Coronation Gospels]] and a [[St. Stephen's Purse|reliquary burse]] of [[St. Stephen]] were moved to [[Vienna]] in 1798 and the [[Talisman of Charlemagne]] was given as a gift in 1804 to [[Josephine Bonaparte]] and subsequently to [[Rheims Cathedral]].<ref name="Gaehde 1996" /> 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. The [[Lothar Cross]], the [[Gospels of Otto III]] and multiple additional Byzantine silks were donated by [[Otto III]]. Part of the [[Aachen Cathedral#Pala d'Oro|Pala d'Oro]] and a covering for the [[Aachen Gospels (Ada School)|Aachen Gospels]] were made of gold donated by [[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry II]].<ref name="Gaehde 1996" /> [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick Barbarossa]] donated the candelabrum that adorns the dome and also once "crowned" the [[Karlsschrein|Shrine of Charlemagne]], which was placed underneath in 1215. [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] donated a pair of reliquaries. [[Louis XI]] gave, in 1475, the crown of [[Margaret of York]], and, in 1481, another arm reliquary of Charlemagne. [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]] and [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] both gave numerous works of art by [[Hans von Reutlingen]].<ref name="Gaehde 1996" /> 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 by [[Ewald Mataré]].<ref name="Gaehde 1996" />

=== Rathaus ===
{{Main|Aachen Rathaus}}
[[File:Aachen BW 2016-07-09 11-56-24.jpg|thumb|Aachen Rathaus seen from the south]]
The Aachen Rathaus, (English: Aachen City Hall or Aachen Town Hall) dated from 1330,<ref name="Merkl 2007">{{harvnb|Merkl|2007|p=2}}</ref> lies between two central squares, the ''Markt'' (marketplace) and the ''Katschhof'' (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 artist [[Alfred Rethel]] which show legendary scenes from the life of Charlemagne, as well as Charlemagne's signature. Also, precious replicas of the [[Imperial Regalia]] are kept here.<ref name="Young" />

Since 2009, the city hall has been a station on the ''Route 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 of [[Napoleon]] from 1807 by [[Louis-André-Gabriel Bouchet]] and one of his wife [[Joséphine de Beauharnais|Joséphine]] from 1805 by [[Robert Lefèvre]] are 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 the [[Charlemagne Prize]] is awarded there.

=== Other sights ===
The ''Grashaus'', a late medieval house at the ''Fischmarkt'', 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.

The ''Elisenbrunnen'' is 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-century [[Theater Aachen|theatre]].

Also of note are two remaining city gates, the ''[[Ponttor]]'' (Pont gate), {{convert|1/2|mi|m|order=flip|abbr=off}} northwest of the cathedral, and the ''Marschiertor'' (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, Aachen]] was built as a church of the Aachen [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] Collegium in 1628. It is attributed to the Rhine [[mannerism]], and a sample of a local [[Renaissance architecture]]. The rich façade remained unfinished until 1891, when the architect Peter Friedrich Peters added to it. The church is a [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox]] church today, but the building is used also for concerts because of its good acoustics.

The synagogue in Aachen, which was destroyed on the [[Night of Broken Glass]] ([[Kristallnacht]]), 9 November 1938, was reinaugurated on 18 May 1995.<ref>{{harvnb|American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise|2013}}.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Knufinke|2013}}.</ref> One of the contributors to the reconstructions of the synagogue was [[Jürgen Linden]], the Lord Mayor of Aachen from 1989 to 2009.

There are numerous other notable churches and [[monastery|monasteries]], a few remarkable 17th- and 18th-century buildings in the particular [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] style typical of the region, a synagogue, a collection of statues and monuments, park areas, cemeteries, among others. Among the museums in the town are the [[Suermondt-Ludwig Museum]], which has a fine sculpture collection and the [[Aachen Museum of the International Press]], which is dedicated to newspapers from the 16th century to the present.<ref name="EB">{{harvnb|Hoiberg|2010|pp=1–2}}.</ref> The area's industrial history is reflected in dozens of 19th- and early 20th-century manufacturing sites in the city.

<gallery>
File:Aachen Grashaus.jpg|Grashaus
File:Aachen elisenbrunnen blau.jpg|Elisenbrunnen in Aachen
File:Aachen Theatre.jpg|Aachen Theatre
File:Aachen Neues Kurhaus.jpg|Neues Kurhaus
File:CarolusThermen01.JPG|Carolus Thermen, thermal baths named after [[Charlemagne]]
File:Aachen-SomeBoulevard.JPG|A statue commemorating [[David Hansemann]]
</gallery>