Aachen Cathedral

Aachen Cathedral () is a Catholic church in Aachen, Germany and the cathedral of the Diocese of Aachen.

One of the oldest cathedral buildings in Europe, it was constructed as the royal chapel of the Palace of Aachen of Emperor Charlemagne, who was buried there in 814. From 936 to 1531, the original Palatine Chapel saw the coronation of thirty-one German kings. Later, much expanded, it was a minster and collegiate church, becoming a cathedral briefly from 1803 to 1825, and again in 1930 when the Diocese of Aachen was revived.

The cathedral mostly uses two distinct architectural styles. First, the core of the cathedral is the Carolingian-Romanesque Palatine Chapel, which was modeled after the Basilica of San Vitale at Ravenna and is notably small in comparison to the later additions. Secondly, the choir was constructed in the Gothic style. along with the rest of the palace structures. The construction is credited to Odo of Metz. The exact date of completion is unclear; however, a letter from Alcuin, in 798, states that it was nearing completion, and in 805, Pope Leo III consecrated the finished chapel. A foundry was brought to Aachen near the end of the 8th century and was utilized to cast multiple bronze pieces, from doors and the railings, to the horse and bear statues. It suffered a large amount of damage in a Viking raid in 881, and was restored in 983.

Following Charlemagne's canonization by Antipope Paschal III in 1165, the chapel became a draw for pilgrims. when the Baroque stucco was removed.

thumb|Floorplan of Charlemagne's [[Palatine Chapel, Aachen|Palatine Chapel]]

During World War II, Aachen, including its famed cathedral, was heavily damaged by Allied bombing attacks and artillery fire, and the subsequent ground fighting when U.S. troops attacked the city, but the cathedral's basic structure survived. Many of the cathedral's artistic objects had been removed to secure storage during the war, and some which could not be moved were protected within the church itself. However, the glazing of the 14th-century choir hall, the Gothic Revival altar, a large part of the cloister, and the Holiness Chapel (Heiligtumskapelle) were irretrievably destroyed. Reconstruction and restoration took place intermittently over more than 30 years, and cost an estimated €40 million.

Structure

Carolingian Octagon (Palatine chapel)

thumb|right|View of the Octagon

thumb|The [[Barbarossa chandelier under the dome of the Octagon]]

The octagon in the centre of the cathedral was erected as the chapel of the Palace of Aachen between 796 and 805 on the model of other contemporary Byzantine buildings (e.g. the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna and the Little Hagia Sophia in Constantinople). The architect was Odo of Metz, and the original design was of a domed octagonal inner room enveloped by a 16 sided outer wall.

Geometry

The question of which geometric concepts and basic dimensions lie at the basis of the chapel's construction is not entirely clear even today. Works of earlier cathedral architects mostly followed either the Drusian foot (334 mm) or the Roman foot (295.7 mm). However, these measurements require complex theories to explain the church's actual dimensions. In 2012, the architectural historian Ulrike Heckner proposed a theory of a new, hitherto unknown unit of measure of 322.4 mm, the so-called Carolingian foot, to which all other measurements in the Palatine chapel can be traced back. This measurement is referred to as the Aachener Königsfuß (Aachen royal foot), after the similarly sized Parisian royal foot (324.8 mm).

Beyond this, there is a symbolic layer to the octagon. Eight was a symbol of the eighth day (Sunday as the sabbath) and therefore symbolised the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life. Likewise, ten, the number of perfection in Medieval architectural symbolism, is frequent in the Palatine Chapel: Its diameter (including the circuit surrounding the dome) measures a hundred Carolingian feet (i. e. ten by ten) – equivalent to the height of the dome.

<gallery mode="packed">

Aachen Dehio 1887.jpg|Ground plan & cross-sections

Aachener Dom 1520.jpg|Aachen Cathedral 1520, depicted by Albrecht Dürer

Aachen Dom 1.2.jpg|Bronze model near the main entrance

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Westwork

thumb|left|Lion head doorknocker of the Carolingian Wolf's Door

thumb|Aachen Cathedral seen from the west

The westwork (western facade) of the cathedral is of Carolingian origin, flanked by two stair-towers. It is a two-story building, completed by a porch from the 18th century at the west end.

The bronze leaves attached to this porch, the Wolfstür (Wolf's Door), weigh 43 hundredweight altogether (cf. with this the Lousberg saga). The main entrance to the cathedral, the door was cast in Aachen around 800 and was located between the westwork and the octagon in the so-called hexadecagon up to 1788. The portal was restored in 1924. Each leaf is divided into eight rectangles – a number which had religious symbolism in Christianity, as a symbol of Sunday, the day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and also of perfection (as did twelve, also) and can be found in the measurements of the Palatine Chapel over and over again. These boxes were framed by decorative strips, which are made of egg-shaped decorations. The egg was considered a symbol of life and fertility from antiquity. In Christian belief it was imbued with the even wider symbolism of Eternal Life. The door-rings in the shape of lions' heads are wreathed by 24 (i.e. two times twelve or three times eight) acanthus scrolls – again to be understood at the deepest level through numerology. The Wolfstür's imitation of the shape of the ancient Roman temple door signifies Charlemagne's claim, to have established a New Rome in Aachen with the Palatine Chapel as the distinctive monumental building.

thumb|left|Bronze pine cone in the entrance hall

There were multiple sculptures, made of bronze, including an equestrian piece probably meant as a parallel of a statue of Marcus Aurelius in Rome. In the forehall, there is a bronze sculpture of a bear, which was probably made in the 10th century, i.e. in Ottonian times. Opposite it is a bronze pine cone with 129 perforated scales, which stands 91&nbsp;cm high (including its base); its date is controversial and ranges from the 3rd to the 10th century. Its base is clearly Ottonian and includes an inscription written in dactylic hexameter, which refers to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers of Mesopotamia. According to one view, the pine cone would originally have served as a waterspout on a fountain and would have been placed in the atrium of the Palatine chapel in Carolingian times.

The upper level is characterised by an exceptionally fine brick western wall. Inside, it bulges outward, while the outside bulges inwards, so that the Carolingian west wall can be seen as a convex-concave bulge. Before the construction of the porch in the 18th century, the Carolingian west facade, when seen from the Narthex, was particularly evocative: a large niche, topped by a semicircular arch in the western upper level corresponded to the semicircle of the barrel vault of the lower level.

thumb|right|View from west-south-west at night

Today, the western wall is broken up by the large western window. The large window frame dates from the Gothic period and replaced a smaller window from Carolingian times, which was probably structured as a mullion (a double arch with a column in the centre). The modern window was designed by Ewald Mataré in 1956. Mataré's design imitates, however abstractly, the structure of the Carolingian bronze gate inside the dome. Bronze and unprocessed quartz form the window itself.

The function of the upstairs part of the west facade is not entirely clear. The right of baptism (long reserved for the Collegiate Church of Mary) was at a baptismal font, which was behind the marble throne, until the end of the Ancien Régime. Possibly the space was involved in these ceremonies. Furthermore, in the western wall, under the great west window, there is a Fensetella (small window) even today, through which there is line of sight to the court below, the former atrium. It is certain that the so-called Carolingian Passage entered this room on its northern wall, connecting the Aula Regia (King's Hall) in the north of the palace with the church.

The lower, barrel-vaulted room in the west probably served as Charlemagne's sepulchre after his death on 28 January 814 and his burial in the Persephone sarcophagus.

The floors of the western facade lying above this room were remodelled in the first half of the 14th century and in the 17th century; the tower was completed between 1879 and 1884.

Choir

Between 1355 and 1414, on the initiative of the Marienstift and the mayor of Aachen Gerhard Chorus (1285–1367), a Gothic choir was built to the east of the Octagon. Before this there must have been a rectangular Carolingian choir.

The Gothic choir measures 25m in length, 13m wide and 32m high. Its external wall is broken, as much as possible, by windows – the surface area of the glass is more than 1,000m² and led to the name Glashaus (glass house). This was conceived as a glass reliquary for the holy relics of Aachen and for the body of Charlemagne. The design is arranged on the model of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, likewise a space for important relics and a royal palace chapel. For protection of the vault of the choir, iron rods were built in at the time of construction, to counter the lateral force on the narrow stone supports and to allow as much space as possible between them for window space.

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File:Karlsschrein front side left.jpg|Karlsschrein (between 1182 and 1215)

File:GrabOtto III.JPG|Tomb of Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor (r.996-1002)

File:Adlerpult mit Fledermaus.jpg|Eagle lectern with bat, 15th century

File:AC SO Marienschrein 2026b.jpg|Marienschrein (1238), among the Aachen reliquaries.

File:Aachen Cathedral pulpit.jpg|Ambon of Henry II on the south wall of the first choir bay

File:Chorhalle Apostelzyklus2.jpg|Choir with illuminated Apostles and Karlsschrein

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Side chapels

thumb|Annakapelle on the left, Matthiaskapelle (Chapel of St Matthew) on the right

Gathered around the octagon are several side chapels. Clockwise from the southeast, they are:

• In the southeast, the Matthiaskapelle (Chapel of St Matthew), which was built in the late 14th century, at the same time as the choir which is next to it.
• Adjoining the Chapel of St Matthew to the south is the gothic Annakapelle (Chapel of St Anne). The lower level of this was originally the narthex to one of the cathedral gates, but later the doors were sealed and the room turned into a chapel.
• South of the western facade is the Chapel of Hungary. Originally a gothic side chapel as well, it was remodelled in the baroque style in the 18th century, following the plans of the Italian architect Joseph Moretti.

• Adjoining the western facade to the north is the Chapel of St Nicholas & St Michael, of the 15th century with a neo-baroque altarpiece in the chancel, created in the 20th century by Joseph Buchkremer. It was formerly the burial place of the canons of Aachen cathedral.
• Northeast, the Chapel of St Charles & Hubert was built into the octagon.
• Further chapels associated with the cathedral complex are found in the cloisters (All Saints and All Souls Chapel) and in the cathedral forecourt (Baptismal Chapel).

<gallery mode="packed">

File:Aachen Dom 8.1.jpg|Annakapelle (Chapel of St Anne)

File:Ungarnkapelle Aachener Dom.jpg|Ungarnkapelle (Chapel of Hungary)

File:AachenerDomKapelle.jpg|Chancel of the Nikolauskapelle (Chapel of St Nicholas)

File:AachenerDomNeueKapelle.jpg|Allerheiligenkapelle (All Saints Chapel)

</gallery>

Notable items

thumb|Karlsthron (Throne of Charlemagne)

thumb|Barbarossa chandelier

Aachen Cathedral houses a collection of medieval art objects from the late Classical, Carolingian, Ottonian and Staufian periods which are exceptional in their artistic and religious meaning.

Throne of Charlemagne

In the western gallery on the lower floor, opposite the choir, the Throne of Charlemagne is to be found, which has been the object of new investigations in the past decades. The original Carolingian throne came from the spolia of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The appearance of the throne and its location in the Palatine Chapel did not change with the passage of centuries. Between 936 and 1531, thirty one German kings ascended to this throne after their anointment and coronation at the Marienaltar (Altar of Mary).

Marienschrein

The Marienschrein (Shrine of St. Mary) rests in the choir of the church and dates from 1220 to 1239. Adorned with the figures of Christ, Mary, Charlemagne, Pope Leo III and the Twelve Apostles, the shrine contains the four great Aachen relics: St. Mary's cloak, Christ's swaddling clothes, St. John the Baptist's beheading cloth and Christ's loincloth. Following a custom begun in 1349, every seven years the relics are taken out of the shrine and put on display during the Great Aachen Pilgrimage. This pilgrimage most recently took place during June 2023.

Barbarossa chandelier

From the vault of the dome, which is made up of eight curved faces, a wheel chandelier hangs on a long chain, about four metres above the ground, with a diameter of over four metres, which is known as the Barbarossa Chandelier (1165/1170). This artwork was a donation of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and his wife Beatrice. The forty-eight candles of the chandelier are lit for solemnities of the Church.

Ambon of Henry II. (Heinrichskanzel)

Between 1002 and 1014, Henry II had a pulpit erected as an ambon in the east passage, which is among the most magnificent artistic treasures of the Ottonian Renaissance. Its inscription on the upper and lower edges clearly identifies its donor as Henry II, referring to him as REX PIVS HEINRICVS. The pulpit is made of an oak base and is decorated all over with filigree and precious stones, with many precious artefacts from antiquity, such as four repoussé copper reliefs with depictions of the Evangelists, as well as six ivory panels of the 6th century. The wooden staircase dates to 1782. The Ambon was thoroughly restored in 1816/1817 and again between 1926 and 1937. To this day, the pulpit is still in liturgical use for solemnities of the Church.

Pala d'Oro

thumb|Pala d'Oro

A golden altarpiece, the Pala d'Oro which today forms the Antependium of the high altar was probably created around 1020 in Fulda. It consists of seventeen individual gold panels with reliefs in repoussé. In the centre, Christ is enthroned as Redeemer in a Mandorla, flanked by Mary and the Archangel Michael. Four round medallions with images of the Evangelists' symbols show the connection to the other twelve relief panels with depictions from the life of Jesus Christ. They begin with the entry into Jerusalem and end with the encounter of the women with the risen Christ in front of the open grave on Easter morning. The depictions are read from left to right, like a book.

Stylistically, the Pala d'Oro is not uniform. The first five reliefs probably come from a goldsmith taught in the Rheinland and is distinguished by a strikingly joyful narration. It probably derives from a donation of Emperor Otto III. The other panels, together with the central group of Christ, Mary, and Michael, draws from Byzantine and late Carolingian predecessors and was likely first added under Otto's successor, Henry II, who also donated the Ambo of Henry II.

Presumably, in the late 15th century, the golden altarpiece formed a massive altar system together with the twelve reliefs of apostles in the cathedral treasury, along with altarpieces with scenes from the life of Mary, which would have been dismantled in 1794 as the French Revolutionary troops approached Aachen. In Germany, the bells are always numbered from largest to smallest, Bell 1 is always the tenor or bourdon.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

!#

!Name

!Strike tone<br />(ST-¹/₁₆)

!Weight<br />(kg)

!Diameter<br />(mm)

!Founder

!Dated

!Inscription

|-

|1 || Maria ||align="center"|g⁰ +8||align="center"|6045||align="center"|2075

|Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock

|1958|| + O MATER ALMA CHRISTI CARISSIMA—SUSCIPE PIA LAUDUM PRAECAMINA. (O dearest nourishing mother of Christ, raise praise for our pious hymn)<br /> GEGOSSEN 1535 + ZERSTOERT 1656 + ERNEUERT 1659 + ZERBORSTEN 1818 + UMGEGOSSEN 1881 + ZERSCHLAGEN 1942 + WIEDERUM ERNEUERT 1958 (Cast 1535 + Destroyed 1656 + Restored 1659 + Disrupted 1818 + Recast 1881 + Obliterated 1942 + Restored again 1958)

|-

|2 || Carolus ||align="center"|h⁰ +7||align="center"|2900||align="center"|1628

|Franz and Jakob von Trier

|1659||HONOR ET CULTUS, QUEM REGALIS ECCLESIA AQUEN: SANCTISSIMO IMPERATORI PATRONO AC FUNDATORI SUO CAROLO VIRTUTE, MERITO, IMPERIO VERE MAGNO DEBET ET DEFERT MIHI NOMEN DEDIT ANNO 1 6 5 9 (The honour and devotion, which the royal church of Aachen owes and renders to its most sacred Emperor, patron and benefactor: Charles, truly Great in virtue, merit and rule, gave this name to me in the year 1659).

|-

|3 || Johannes Evangelista ||align="center"|d¹ +8||align="center"|1400||align="center"|1367

|"""

|1659|| NASCENTES INTER SOCIAS MECUM ORDINE PONOR TERTIA, SED CUM QUINTA TONO APPELLATA JOHANNES (I am placed third in order among the friends born with me, but I call to John with the fifth tone)

|-

|4 || Johannes Baptista ||align="center"|e¹ +7||align="center"|1225||align="center"|1217

|"""

|1659|| JOHANNES BAPTISTA ORA PRO NOBIS. IN LUDO HAUD IN AGRO FLORENS NOS CURIA FECIT SED LONGO SUB AGRO FUDIT NOS IPSE DECANO. An O. 1 6 5 6 (John the Baptist pray for us. Flourishing in play not in the field, the Curia made us, but cast us in a vast field for the dean. 1656)

|-

|5 || Leopardus ||align="center"|fis¹ +3 ||align="center"|850 ||align="center"|1078

|"""

|1659|| SANCTE LEOPARDE ORA PRO NOBIS ANNO 1 6 5 9 (Saint Leopardus pray for us. Made 1659.)

|-

|6 || Stephanus ||align="center"|g¹ +8||align="center"|715||align="center"|1027

|"""

|1659|| SANCTE STEPHANE ORA PRO NOBIS ANNO 1 6 5 9 (St Stephen pray for us. Made 1659.)

|-

|7 || Petrus ||align="center"|a¹ +1||align="center"|425||align="center"|894

|"""

|1659|| SANCTE PETRE ORA PRO NOBIS ANNO 1 6 5 9 (St. Peter pray for us. Made 1659.)

|-

|8 || Simeon ||align="center"|h¹ +8||align="center"|290||align="center"|793

|"""

|1659|| SANCTE SIMEON JUSTE ET TIMORATE ORA PRO NOBIS (St Simon, just and devout, pray for us)

|}

Historical and religious significance

Final resting place of Charlemagne

thumb|Shrine of Charlemagne (1215)

The core of Aachen Cathedral, the Carolingian octagon, was originally erected as Charlemagne's palace chapel and was also his grave. After his death, on 28 January 814, he was buried in his church; the exact spot is unknown, because of the lack of documentation and the ambiguity of the physical evidence. However, it is probable that he was buried in the Persephone sarcophagus under the west tower at the entrance to the octagon.

In 1000, Otto III had Charlemagne's vault opened. Otto of Lomello, one of the courtiers who accompanied him, recorded the event, which is reported in the Chronicle of Novalesia, written about 1026. The account reads:

A large picture representing Otto and his nobles gazing on the dead Emperor was painted on the wall of the great room in Aachen Town Hall.

In 1165, on the occasion of Charlemagne's canonisation, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa again opened the vault and reinterred his remains. In 1215, at his coronation, Frederick II had the remains reinterred for the last time, placing them in a casket of gold and silver, known as the Karlsschrein, where they remain to this day.

Emperor Otto III was buried in the cathedral as well.

Coronation church of German kings

On the explicit instructions of Charlemagne, his son Louis the Pious crowned himself king in the chapel. Between the coronation of Otto I in 936 and 1531, thirty German kings (out of ~40) were crowned in the chapel. The coronation itself occurred at the High Altar, followed by the enthronement on the Aachen Throne of Charlemagne (which can still be seen today). It is also notable that in this period, all German rulers, regardless of whether they were crowned in Aachen or not, took their position on Charlemagne's throne.

Aachen pilgrimage

The Aachen pilgrimage (Aachener Heiligtumsfahrt), a pilgrimage during which the four most important religious relics of the cathedral can be seen by believers, is attested from 1238. Since 1349, these relics have been displayed once every seven years. The last pilgrimage was in 2023, and had the motto "Discover Me".

Influence

As early as the Middle Ages, Aachen Cathedral was admired and imitated, as in the case of Essen Minster, the Old Tower in Mettlach and in the Alsatian Abbey Church of Ottmarsheim. Construction elements of the octagon and choir were nominated as Historic landmarks of German civil engineering in 2007.

Chronology

thumb|Aachen Cathedral c. 1900

thumb|To celebrate 1200 Years of Aachen Cathedral in 2000, the Federal Republic of Germany issued these [[commemorative stamps.]]

• 768–800: Aachen was the residence of Charlemagne. Construction of the palace (in the location of the modern Rathaus and Aachen Cathedral) on the site of a Roman bath. The Octagon was built with columns and marble from ancient buildings of Rome, Ravenna, Trier & Cologne). The exterior was covered with red plaster. This central core was begun in 793 at the earliest and finished by 813 at the latest. This dating was reached in 2009 by means of dendrochronology on wood in the structure, which was found during repairs to the cathedral.
• 805: Consecration by Pope Leo III.

Miscellaneous

thumb|150px|Seismometer of the seismological station in Aachen Cathedral

• The German impressionist painter August von Brandis painted Aachen Cathedral in several works. Act III of Giuseppe Verdi's Ernani is set at the tomb of Charlemagne.
• Shade of Hungarian chapel in the garden of the cathedral is the statue of Saint Stephen by Imre Varga, made in 1993.
• The Domwache (Cathedral watch), a youth self-help group, has been operated since 1957 by the Catholic students association of K.D.St.V. Franconia Aachen.
• Since 15 November 2012, the Geological Service of North Rhine-Westphalia operates a station monitoring seismic activity in the Lower Rhine Basin. It is located in the foundations of the hexadecagon near the entry to the St Ann's Chapel.

Gallery

<gallery>

image:Aachen Cathedral, Germany.jpg|Cathedral exterior

image:Aachener_Dom_Pfalzkapelle_vom_M%C3%BCnsterplatz_2014.jpg|Exterior of the Palatine Chapel

image:Aix_dom_int_vue_cote.jpg|Interior of the Palatine Chapel

image:Aachen Germany Imperial-Cathedral-11.jpg|View from the Octagon into the choir

image:Aachen Cathedral Octagon1.jpg|Mosaics

image:Aachen Cathedral Octagon2.jpg|Mosaics

image:Cock mosaic - Palatine Chapel - Aachen - Germany 2017.jpg|Cockerel mosaic

image:Lotharkreuz, Kaiserseite, Aachener Dom, Juni 2008.jpg|Cross of Lothair (~ 1000) (treasury)

image:Statue of St. Stephen, in Aachen, Germany 01.jpg|Statue of St. Stephen outside the Ungarnkapelle (Chapel of Hungary)

</gallery>

Notes

Footnotes

References

Further reading

External links

• Aachen Cathedral – Official UNESCO website
• Aachen Cathedral – World Heritage Site
• Cathedral Music
• Aachen Cathedral Photos
• Photos of Aachen cathedral on sekulada.com