Editing Aachen (section)

====World War II====
{{further|Battle of Aachen}}

[[File:111-adc-2447.webm|thumb|upright=1.2|thumbtime=06:42|start=00:08|Films shot on 13, 14 and 15 October 1944 in Aachen by US forces]]
After [[World War I]], Aachen was occupied by the Entente until 1930, along with the rest of German territory west of the Rhine.<ref name="Ranson 1998" /> Aachen was one of the locations involved in the [[Rhenish Republic]]. On 21 October 1923, an armed mob took over the city hall. Similar actions took place in [[Mönchengladbach]], [[Duisburg]], and [[Krefeld]]. This republic lasted about a year.<ref>{{harvnb|Holborn|1982b|p=614}}.</ref> 

Aachen was heavily damaged during [[World War II]]. According to [[Jörg Friedrich (author)|Jörg Friedrich]] in ''The 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 destroyed [[Eilendorf (Aachen)|Aachen-Eilendorf]] and [[Burtscheid|Aachen-Burtscheid]].<ref>{{harvnb|Friedrich|2008|p=[https://archive.org/details/firebombingofger00frie/page/117 117]}}.</ref>

The city and its fortified surroundings were besieged from 12 September to 21 October 1944 by the US 1st Infantry Division<ref name="Stanton 2006">{{harvnb|Stanton|2006|p=76}}.</ref> with the 3rd Armored Division assisting from the south.<ref>{{harvnb|Stanton|2006|p=51}}.</ref> Around 13 October the US 2nd Armored Division, coming from the north, and got as close as [[Würselen]],<ref>{{harvnb|Stanton|2006|p=50}}.</ref> while the 30th Infantry Division completed the encirclement of Aachen on 16 October 1944.<ref>{{harvnb|Stanton|2006|p=109}}.</ref> With reinforcements from the US 28th Infantry Division<ref>{{harvnb|Stanton|2006|p=105}}.</ref> the battle continued involving direct assaults through the heavily defended city, which forced the German garrison to surrender on 21 October 1944.<ref name="Stanton 2006" />

Aachen was the first German city to be captured by the Western Allies, and its residents welcomed the soldiers as liberators.<ref name="baker2004">{{harvnb|Baker|2004|p=37}}.</ref> What remained of the city was destroyed—in some areas completely—during the fighting,{{sfn|Bridgwater|Aldrich|1968}} mostly by American [[artillery]] fire and demolitions carried out by the [[Waffen-SS]] defenders. Damaged buildings included medieval churches of and the [[Aachen Rathaus|Rathaus]] (city hall), although [[Aachen Cathedral]] was 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.