Aachen is located at the northern foothills of theHigh Fens and theEifel Mountains. It sits on theWurm River, a tributary of theRur, and together withMönchengladbach, it is the only larger German city in thedrainage basin of theMeuse. It is the westernmost larger city in Germany, lying approximately 61 km (38 mi) west ofCologne andBonn, directly borderingBelgium in the southwest, and theNetherlands in the northwest. The city lies in theMeuse–Rhine Euroregion and is the seat of thedistrict of Aachen(Städteregion Aachen).
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 Aachen is 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.
The nameAachen is 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 theNeolithic era, about 5,000 years ago, attracted to its warmmineral springs. LatinAquae figures in Aachen'sRoman nameAquae granni, which meant "waters ofGrannus", referring to theCeltic god of healing who was worshipped at the springs.[6][7] This word becameÅxhe inWalloon andAix in French, and subsequentlyAix-la-Chapelle to distinguish it fromAix-en-Provence, afterCharlemagne had hispalatine chapel built 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 duringNeolithic times (3000–2500 BC), attest to the long occupation of the site of Aachen, as do recent finds under the modern city'sElisengarten pointing 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 peoples[11] who were perhaps drawn by the marshy Aachen basin'shot sulphur springs where 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,[12][b] adding at the end of the same century theMünstertherme spa,[13] two water pipelines, and a probable[clarification needed] sanctuary 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 calledVernenum was built near the modernKornelimünster/Walheim. Today, remains have been found of three bathhouses,[14] including two fountains in theElisenbrunnen and the Burtscheid bathhouse.
Roman civil administration in Aachen eventually broke down as the baths and other public buildings (along with most of thevillae rusticae of 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 Franks[15] and subordinated to their capital,Cologne. During the Roman period, Aachen was the site of a flourishing Jewish community.[16]
Pepin the Short had a castle residence built in the town,[when?] due to the proximity of the hot springs and also for strategic reasons as it is located between theRhineland and northern France.[17]Einhard mentions that in 765–766 Pepin spent both Christmas and Easter atAquis villa(Et celebravit natalem Domini in Aquis villa et pascha similiter)[18] ("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,Charlemagne came to spend Christmas at Aachen for the first time.[c] 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 theCarolingian empire, a Jewish community lived near the royal palace. In Jewish texts, the city of Aachen was calledAish orAsh (אש). In 797, Isaac, a Jewish merchant, accompanied two ambassadors ofCharlemagne to the court ofHarun al-Rashid. He returned to Aachen in July 802, bearing an elephant calledAbul-Abbas as a gift for the emperor.[20] After Charlemagne's death, he was buried in the church which he had built;[21] 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.
Construction of Aix-la-Chapelle, byJean FouquetPresentation of the four "Great Relics" during the Aachenpilgrimage, after a 17th-century painting
In 936,Otto I was crowned king ofEast Francia in the collegiate church built by Charlemagne. During the reign ofOtto II, the nobles revolted and theWest Franks underLothair[22]raided Aachen in 978.[23] Aachen was attacked again byOdo of Champagne, who attacked theimperial palace whileConrad II was absent. Odo relinquished it and was killed afterwards.[24] The palace and town of Aachen had fortifying walls built by order of EmperorFrederick Barbarossa between 1172 and 1176.[14] Over the next 500 years, most kings ofGermany who ruled theHoly Roman Empire were crowned in Aachen. The original audience hall built by Charlemagne was torn down and replaced by the currentcity hall in 1330.[d][14] 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 I during his coronation ceremony. The last king to be crowned here wasFerdinand I in 1531.[12][25]
During theMiddle Ages, Aachen remained a city of regional importance, due to its proximity toFlanders; it achieved a modest position in the trade inwoollen cloths, 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 independent[clarification needed] of 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 837[26] and theCouncil of 1166, a council convened by theantipopePaschal III.[27]
Aachen was an important site for the production of historical manuscripts. Under Charlemagne's purview, both theAda Gospels and theCoronation Gospels may have been produced in Aachen.[28] 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,patristic texts including the five manuscripts of theBamberg Pliny Group.[28] 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.[28]
Thesiege of Aachen by the Spanish Army of Flanders under Ambrogio Spinola in 1614View of Aachen in 1690
In 1598, following the invasion ofSpanish troops from theNetherlands,Rudolf deposed allProtestant office holders in Aachen and went as far as expelling them from the city.[29] From the early 16th century, Aachen started to lose its power and influence. First thecoronations of emperors were moved from Aachen toFrankfurt. This was followed by thereligious wars and the great fire of 1656.[30] After the destruction of most of the city in 1656, the rebuilding was mostly in theBaroque style.[14] The decline of Aachen culminated in 1794, when the French, led by GeneralCharles Dumouriez,[15] occupied Aachen.[25]
In 1542, the Dutchhumanist and physicianFrancis Fabricius published his study of the health benefits of the hot springs in Aachen.[31] 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.[32] 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 mainindication for visiting patients, ironically, wassyphilis; only by the end of the 19th century hadrheumatism become the most important object of cures at Aachen and Burtscheid.
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.[citation needed]
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-lieu dudépartement de la Roer" in Napoleon'sFirst French Empire. In 1815, after theNapoleonic Wars, theKingdom of Prussia took over within the newGerman Confederation. The city was one of its most socially and politically backward centres until the end of the 19th century.[12] Administered within theRhine Province, by 1880 the population was 80,000. Starting in 1838, the railway fromCologne toBelgium passed through Aachen.[37] 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 network was opened, and in 1895 it was electrified.[38] 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.
Films shot on 13, 14 and 15 October 1944 in Aachen by US forces
AfterWorld War I, Aachen was occupied by the Entente until 1930, along with the rest of German territory west of the Rhine.[25] 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.[39]
Aachen was heavily damaged duringWorld War II. According toJörg Friedrich inThe 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-Eilendorf andAachen-Burtscheid.[40]
The city and its fortified surroundings were besieged from 12 September to 21 October 1944 by the US 1st Infantry Division[41] with the 3rd Armored Division assisting from the south.[42] Around 13 October the US 2nd Armored Division, coming from the north, and got as close asWürselen,[43] while the 30th Infantry Division completed the encirclement of Aachen on 16 October 1944.[44] With reinforcements from the US 28th Infantry Division[45] the battle continued involving direct assaults through the heavily defended city, which forced the German garrison to surrender on 21 October 1944.[41]
Aachen was the first German city to be captured by the Western Allies, and its residents welcomed the soldiers as liberators.[46] What remained of the city was destroyed—in some areas completely—during the fighting,[12] mostly by Americanartillery fire and demolitions carried out by theWaffen-SS defenders. Damaged buildings included medieval churches of and theRathaus (city hall), althoughAachen 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.
On 16 May 1815, theJewish community of the city offered an homage in its synagogue to the Prussian king,Friedrich Wilhelm III.[47] In 1862, a large synagogue was built, later called theOld Synagogue [de;fr;id]. By 1933, 1,345 Jews lived in the city. OnKristallnacht in 1938, the synagogue was destroyed. By the onset ofWorld War II in 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 technology in 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.[48]
View towards Aachen at the foothills of theHigh Fens, with theuniversity hospital visible, from theVaalserberg, the highest elevation in Aachen and of the European part of the Netherlands.Physiogeographical location of Aachen
The maximum dimensions of the city's territory are 21.6 km (13+3⁄8 mi) from north to south, and17.2 km (10+3⁄4 mi) from east to west. The city limits are87.7 km (54+1⁄2 mi) long, of which23.8 km (14+3⁄4 mi) border Belgium and21.8 km (13+1⁄2 mi) 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[6] (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 theEifel and theHigh Fens and 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 winds on 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-related smog. Some areas of the city have becomeurban heat islands as 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.[49]
The January average is3.0 °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 zone 8b in the 1991–2020 period, having an average yearly minimum of -9.22 °C (15.4 °F), the Canadian city ofRegina, Saskatchewan which 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.[50]
In the 1991–2020 period, the last freeze (at 2 m above ground) of spring occurred on April 28th and the first fall freeze on October 13th, on average.[51]
The Aachen weather station has recorded the following extreme values:[52]
Highest Temperature 38.6 °C (101.5 °F) on25 July 2019.
Warmest Minimum 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) on 29 July 1947.
Coldest Maximum −12.8 °C (9.0 °F) on 22 January 1940.
Lowest Temperature −20.4 °C (−4.7 °F) on 11 January 1945.[53]
Highest Daily Precipitation 98.7 mm (3.89 in) on 14 July 2021.
Wettest Month 232.2 mm (9.14 in) in July 2021.
Wettest Year 1,121.1 mm (44.14 in) in 1966.
Driest Year 530.5 mm (20.89 in) in 1959.
Earliest Snowfall: 4 November 1941.
Latest Snowfall: 30 April 1938.
Longest annual sunshine: 2,128.4 hours in 2003.
Shortest annual sunshine: 1,277.4 hours in 1981.
Climate data for Aachen (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1891–present[e])
The geology of Aachen is very structurally heterogeneous. The oldest occurring rocks in the area surrounding the city originate from theDevonian period and includecarboniferoussandstone,greywacke,claystone andlimestone. These formations are part of theRhenish Massif, north of the High Fens. In thePennsylvanian subperiod of theCarboniferous geological 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.[57]
During theCretaceous period, the ocean penetrated the continent from the direction of theNorth Sea up to the mountainous area near Aachen, bringing with it clay, sand, and chalk deposits. While the clay (which was the basis for a majorpottery industry in nearbyRaeren) is mostly found in the lower areas of Aachen, the hills of theAachen Forest and theLousberg were formed from upper Cretaceous sand and chalk deposits. More recent sedimentation is mainly located in the north and east of Aachen and was formed throughTertiary andQuaternary river and wind activities.
Aachen had 245,885 inhabitants as of 31 December 2015, of whom 118,272 were female, and 127,613 were male.[61]
At the end of 2009, the foreign-born residents of Aachen made up 13.6 percent of the total population.[62] A significant portion of foreign residents are students at theRWTH Aachen University.
Aachen is at the western end of theBenrath line that dividesHigh German to the south from the rest of theWest Germanic speech area to the north.[13] Aachen's local dialect is calledÖcher Platt and 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:
The current mayor of Aachen isSibylle Keupen, anindependent endorsed 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,[27] and it was, on completionc. 798,[66] the largest cathedral north of theAlps. It was modelled after theBasilica of San Vitale, inRavenna, Italy,[25] and was built byOdo of Metz.[27] Charlemagne also desired for the chapel to compete with theLateran Palace, both in quality and authority.[67] It was originally built in theCarolingian style, including marble covered walls, and mosaic inlay on the dome.[68] 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 sectile floor still visible.[68] The 13th century saw gables being added to the roof, and after the fire of 1656, the dome was rebuilt. Finally, achoir was added around the start of the 15th century.[21]
AfterFrederick Barbarossacanonised Charlemagne in 1165 the chapel became adestination for pilgrims.[21] 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.[69] 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.[70] Aachen Cathedral has been designated as aUNESCO World Heritage Site.[71]
Most of the marble and columns used in the construction of the cathedral were brought from Rome andRavenna, including thesarcophagus in which Charlemagne was eventually laid to rest.[67] A bronze bear fromGaul was placed inside, along with an equestrian statue from Ravenna, believed to beTheodric, in contrast to a wolf and a statue ofMarcus Aurelius in theCapitoline.[67] 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.[67]
Aachen Cathedral Treasury has housed, throughout its history, a collection of liturgical objects. The origin of thischurch 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 asJerusalem andConstantinople.[67] 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).[67] Only six of the originalCarolingian objects have remained, and of those only three are left in Aachen: theAachen Gospels, adiptych of Christ, and an earlyByzantine silk. TheCoronation Gospels and areliquary burse ofSt. Stephen were moved toVienna in 1798 and theTalisman of Charlemagne was given as a gift in 1804 toJosephine Bonaparte and subsequently toRheims Cathedral.[67] 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 III and multiple additional Byzantine silks were donated byOtto III. Part of thePala d'Oro and a covering for theAachen Gospels were made of gold donated byHenry II.[67]Frederick Barbarossa donated the candelabrum that adorns the dome and also once "crowned" theShrine of Charlemagne, which was placed underneath in 1215.Charles IV donated a pair of reliquaries.Louis XI gave, in 1475, the crown ofMargaret of York, and, in 1481, another arm reliquary of Charlemagne.Maximilian I andCharles V both gave numerous works of art byHans von Reutlingen.[67] 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.[67]
The Aachen Rathaus, (English: Aachen City Hall or Aachen Town Hall) dated from 1330,[19] 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 Rethel which show legendary scenes from the life of Charlemagne, as well as Charlemagne's signature. Also, precious replicas of theImperial Regalia are kept here.[70]
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 ofNapoleon from 1807 byLouis-André-Gabriel Bouchet and one of his wifeJoséphine from 1805 byRobert 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 theCharlemagne Prize is awarded there.[clarification needed]
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.
TheElisenbrunnen 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-centurytheatre.
Also of note are two remaining city gates, thePonttor (Pont gate),800 metres (1⁄2 mile) 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, Aachen was built as a church of the AachenJesuit Collegium 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 Orthodox church 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.[72][73] 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 particularBaroque 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 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.[74] The area's industrial history is reflected in dozens of 19th- and early 20th-century manufacturing sites in the city.
Grashaus
Elisenbrunnen in Aachen
Aachen Theatre
Neues Kurhaus
Carolus Thermen, thermal baths named afterCharlemagne
Aachen is the administrative centre for the coal-mining industries in neighbouring places to the northeast.[14]
Products manufactured in Aachen include electrical goods,fine woolen textiles, foodstuffs (chocolate and candy), glass, machinery, rubber products, furniture, metal products.[63] Also in and around[clarification needed] Aachen chemicals, plastics, cosmetics, and needles and pins are produced.[25] 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.[8] There have been a number of spin-offs from the university'sIT technology 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 renamedStreetScooter GmbH. 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.[75]
In December 2014DHL Group purchased the StreetScooter company from Günther, operating it as a wholly owned subsidiary.[76]
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.[77] At the time, this target would make it the largest electric light utility vehicle manufacturer in Europe, surpassingRenault's smallerKangoo Z.E.[78]
Aachen is also famous for itscarnival (Karneval, Fasching), in which families dress in colourful costumes.
In 1372, Aachen became the first coin-minting city in the world to regularly place anAnno Domini date on a general circulationcoin, agroschen.
TheScotch Club in Aachen was the firstdiscothèque in Germany, opened from 19 October 1959 until 1992. Klaus Quirini as DJ Heinrich was the first DJ ever.[citation needed]
The local speciality of Aachen is an originally hard type of sweet bread, baked in large flat loaves, calledAachener Printen. UnlikeLebkuchen, a German form ofgingerbread sweetened with honey,Printen use a syrup made from sugar. Today, a soft version is sold under the same name which follows an entirely different recipe.
The main building of RWTH Aachen UniversityTypical Aachen street with early 20th-centuryGründerzeit housesAnother example of Aachen early 20th-century Gründerzeit houses
RWTH Aachen University, established as Polytechnicum in 1870, is one ofGermany's Universities of Excellence with 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.[81] 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)[82] 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.[83]
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 Europe[84] with one of its three campuses in Aachen.[85] The Aachen campus substantially contributes to the Opera/Musical Theatre master's programme by collaborating with theTheater Aachen and the recently established musical theatre chair through the Rheinische Opernakademie.
TheGerman Army's technical school(Ausbildungszentrum Technik Landsysteme) is located in Aachen.[86]
The annualCHIO (short for the French termConcours Hippique International Officiel) is the biggestequestrian meeting of the world and among horsemen is considered to be as prestigious for equitation as the tournament ofWimbledon for tennis. Aachen hosted the2006 FEI World Equestrian Games.
The localfootball teamAlemannia Aachen had 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.[87] 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.
The first horse tram line in Aachen opened in December 1880. After electrification in 1895, it attained a maximum length of213.5 kilometres (132+5⁄8 miles) in 1915, thus becoming the fourth-longest tram network in Germany. Many tram lines extended to the surrounding towns ofHerzogenrath,Stolberg,Alsdorf as 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 nameCampusbahn was 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 Commun andVeolia 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 theEuropaplatz near 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.
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 Day at 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.
^This audio file is Andreas Schaub explaining the archaeological record in court inArchäologie am Hof.
^This is in dispute, as some history books state that Charlemagne was in fact born in Aachen in 742.[19]
^Sources differ on the age of thecity hall, as the dates used for the construction were 1334–1349.[14]
^Temperature data for Aachen have been recorded since 1891. The weather station data used from 1 January 1891 to 31 March 2011 came from Aachen weather station, and temperature data from 1 April 2011 to the present are fromAachen-Orsbach [de].
^Twinning started by then independent municipalityWalheim, now continued by borough Aachen-Kornelimünster/Walheim.[91]
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