The Story Of… Aachen Cathedral in Aachen, Germany

Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of Aachen Cathedral

One of the oldest cathedrals in Europe, it was constructed by order of Emperor Charlemagne, who was buried here in 814. From 936 to 1531, the Palatine Chapel saw the coronation of thirty kings. In 1978, Aachen Cathedral was one of the first 12 items to be listed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. For the Arte documentary “Treasures for Eternity”, a real wolf was sent to the cathedral.

That was in the evening hours, after there was no more public traffic. The seating was completely cleared out and a fog machine created a mystical ambience. If you are in Aachen, go visit the cathedral and admire the architecture and the stunning interior. The Aachen Cathedral Treasury houses the largest and most important collection of ecclesiastical treasury
items north of the Alps.

KB: How was the Aachen Cathedral founded? Tell me the history.

Apart from its geographic location at the centre of the empire, Aachen had no real significance at the time of Charlemagne. It was surrounded by forests (which was good for hunting) and already renowned for its thermal springs, which Charlemagne highly esteemed. Aachen’s importance increased when he decided to expand the existing estate of his father Pippin and make it his main residence. For a short period of time, little Aachen became the political centre of the largest empire that had developed on European soil since the end of the Roman Empire.
Under Charlemagne, the court became the intellectual centre. When in his later years the emperor settled down, he surrounded himself with the intellectual elite from all parts of his empire. Following the ideals of antiquity, but based on Christian traditions, many reforms in literature, language, education and architecture emanated from the court.

KB: Tell me about the palatine chapel.

North of the alps, no monumental buildings had been built in stone since Roman times. The Emperor’s Palatine chapel, dedicated to St Mary, was built between 793 and 813 and was pioneering for architectural development in northern Europe. Charlemagne intended for St Mary’s Church to become a complete image of the Heavenly Jerusalem, symbolising the meeting point between the Earthly and the Heavenly. Charlemagne also founded a chapter of canons, in other words a community of clerics who gathered at set times every day to celebrate a service consisting of a mass and breviary. Many depictions that have survived to the present day incorporate the theme of “Charlemagne as the builder of the Church”.

KB: Who was St. Corona?

Saint Corona is said to have been an early Christian martyr. Her life has not been historically recorded. She is merely mentioned in various legends. According to these, the only 16-year-old woman was executed at the time of the persecutions of Christians by being tied hand and foot to two bent-down palm trees so that she could be cruelly torn to pieces when the trees were untied. In the Middle Ages, the youthful saint was popular throughout Europe; Emperor Otto III brought her bones to Aachen in 997, where she was buried in the cathedral until 1910. Then a shrine was made for her.

KB: Tell me about the devil’s thumb stuck in the basilica’s entrance?

When Charlemagne had Aachen Cathedral built in the 8th century, he wanted only the most precious building materials to be used. When war broke out against the Saxons, the Emperor left Aachen and ordered the city council to complete the house of God by the time he returned. However, the councillors ran out of money and were desperate for a solution. As the council sat together one evening, a smartly dressed man entered the hall. It was the devil! He knew about the city’s money problems and proposed a deal: He would give cash for the completion of the cathedral and in return receive the soul of the person who would enter the completed building first.

The people of Aachen entered into the pact with the devil – but the secret decision leaked out. When the time finally came, understandably no volunteer could be found. A monk had the saving idea: since the councillors had never promised a human soul, they would chase a wolf into the house of God. The devil pounced on him, tore his soul out of his body and then realised that he had been deceived. Full of rage, he slammed the door of the entrance portal so hard that he lost the thumb of his right hand. In the course of time, it turned to bronze. It can still be felt in the doorknob today.

KB: What movies did the cathedral appear in?

Many documentaries have been made about Aachen Cathedral, most recently an almost one-hour episode by Arte as part of the series “Treasures for Eternity”:
Ten years ago, the cathedral courtyard was also the setting for the fantasy film “Rubinrot“ starring the actress Veronica Ferres, who is famous in Germany. Back then, the square was transformed into a medieval setting with free-range chickens.

KB: I read that a wolf was running in the cathedral for a tv movie? Tell me the story.

For the Arte documentary mentioned above, a real wolf was sent to the cathedral. That was in the evening hours, after there was no more public traffic. The seating was completely cleared out and a fog machine created a mystical ambience. Why a wolf? Because it plays a central role in our cathedral building saga.

KB. Tell me about the architecture of the cathedral.

The Carolingian St Mary’s Church was built on the remains of a Roman thermal complex and on the site of a Merovingian chapel. The altar of St Mary’s Church was placed in the same position it had in the Merovingian chapel; only its orientation was changed. It was turned 38 degrees to the East. The Frankish ruler brought experts from all over the empire to Aachen to realise the immense project. Odo of Metz is said to be the architect. The floor plan is based on a system of measurements referring to the Book of Revelation.

The floor plan and building design of Aachen Cathedral bear witness to its changing significance and use over the centuries. The Carolingian building, a domed octagon, is largely intact. The apex of the dome – an octagonal monastery vault – is 31.40 m high with a span of 14.45 m. The Octagon is surrounded by a two-storey, sixteen-sided ambulatory and has an impressive entrance facade. The imperial throne is to be found in the western gallery on the upper storey of the Palatine chapel (Hochmünster). The Gothic choir (inaugurated 1414) was built to the east of the Octagon. This building with it unique structure is dominated by the rows of windows that are 26 metres high. Adjacent to the outer walls of the hex decagon are five chapel buildings, most of which are double-storey constructions from the Gothic period and the Baroque Age.

KB: Tell me about the throne of Charlemagne. How many kings were crowned at the cathedral?

The imperial throne looks less impressive than you might expect considering its historical significance. While it is often said to be the throne of Charlemagne himself, this cannot be unequivocally verified. The throne was first mentioned in writing in the context of the coronation of Otto I in 936. From that time on, every Roman-German King had to sit on the throne to legitimize his claim to power. Between 936 and 1531, a total of 30 kings were crowned in Aachen. You can find a complete list of crowned kings and queens on the website of Aachen.de

KB: Tell me about the treasury within the cathedral.

The Aachen Cathedral Treasury houses the largest and most important collection of ecclesiastical treasury items north of the Alps. Along with Aachen Cathedral, the Treasury was the first German monument to be entered in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978. In the Treasury, about 130 works of art are exhibited on three floors.

KB: Why should people visit the Aachen Cathedral?

• It is breathtaking inside.
• It is the best-preserved building from the Carolinian period.
• The roots of the Christian West lie here.
For more than 1200years, it has captivated people from all over Europe. Aachen Cathedral still combines ecclesiastical functions and historical traditions:
• as the burial place of Charlemagne,
• as the coronation church of the Roman-German kings until 1531,
• as a pilgrimage church on the occasion of the Heiligtumsfahrt, which takes place every seven years. The last one was in June this year. Due to its special (architectural) historical significance, the cathedral was the first cultural site in Germany to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978.

Check out the cathedral’s website: HERE
Find the cathedral on Facebook: HERE
Find the cathedral on Instagram: HERE

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