Cathedral History

Carolingian columns

The decorations of the church dovetail harmonically with the almost perfect measurements. Antique columns, capitals, bronze grills made in Carolingian workshops, are still considered to be among the most precious objects of the church.

Pala d'Oro

The spiritual connection to Charlemagne was achieved by numerous royal donations. The Ottonian dynasty’s “golden donations” from the 10th and 11th century leave visitors standing in awe even today.

Barbarossa Chandelier

Frederick I arranged the canonization of Charlemagne in 1165 and donated the golden chandelier, which dovetails harmonically and symbolically with the overall structure of the church. It seems to descend from the heavens to the earth like the Heavenly Jerusalem.

Shrines of Charlemagne and the Virgin Mary

The completion of the Shrine of Charlemagne in 1215 marked the pinnacle of the canonized emperor’s sensed and symbolized presence. Aachen Cathedral’s four main relics found safekeeping in the Shrine of the Virgin Mary in 1239.

Pilgrimages

Pilgrims from all regions of the empire were drawn to the Cathedral by the two shrines and helped to establish Aachen as one of the most important pilgrimage sites of the Middle Ages. The relics are still shown to the faithful every seven years today.

The chancel

A circle of Gothic chapels was built to surround the Carolingian Church. The largest one is the chancel, coined “Aachen’s glass house” due to the windows with a height of 27 meters and more than 1000 square meters of glass surface.

The coronation throne

The coronation throne is still to be found in the upper story of the Church of St. Mary, where 30 kings and 12 queens were crowned from 936 to 1531. Not many other places offer a similarly tangible history of the coronations.

The city fire of Aachen

The Church of St. Mary fell victim to a devastating city fire in 1656. The roofs of the chancel, of the Octagon and of the towers were destroyed almost completely.

Baroque redecoration

During the baroque period the church saw major changes to the interior, the cupola mosaic and the other walls were redecorated with white stucco.

Neo-Gothic west tower

Efforts to regain the original appearance of the Cathedral were made after the fall of Napoleon in the middle of the 19th century. The west tower was expanded, the baroque stucco removed and the columns returned from Paris were once again inserted or replaced by copies.

World War II

Aachen was again elevated to a diocese and the Church of St. Mary became a cathedral in 1930. Local youth from the so-called “Feuerlöschgruppe Dom” (“Fire Brigade Cathedral”) helped the Cathedral to survive the air raids of World War II and prevent further damage.

Restoration

Conservation and maintenance are paramount: The interior once again emits a new gloss after long-time cleaning of the mosaics. In order to preserve the Cathedral for future generations as a unique edifice and gathering spot for the faithful constant work is required.

History of Aachen Cathedral