History in Aachen

Aachen is not really a place you just happen to stumble upon. Located only a few kilometers from the borders to both France and Netherlands, It’s the westernmost larger city in Germany, far from the techno clubs of Berlin or the beer gardens of Munich.

One might think I’m here for the famous Printen, the gingerbread cookies baked in the city since the Middle Ages as sustenance to the pilgrims visiting Aachen cathedral. Even though I have munched too many of those, there is another reason for my visit.

So let’s talk about the dead guy in the room: Charlemagne. This Frankish king cobbled together an empire and became the first Holy Roman Emperor. A guy referred to as the “father of Europe” is not easily forgotten, and his ghost is all over Aachen.

Charlemagne made Aachen his seat of power about 786 AD. It served as the coronation site where 31 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned Kings of the Germans from 936 to 1531, being the spiritual control room of medieval Europe.

Gothic splendor.

I make my way into the cathedral, where I see the golden “Karlsschrein” containing the bones of Charlemagne. Nearby is his plain throne, where 31 German kings were crowed during a period of whopping 600 years.

In this hushed chamber of mosaics and marble, the past is the present. The air feels heavier, soaked in incense, history and the whispers of a thousand dying prayers.

Karlsschrein bathed in light.

Alright. Now where’s my gingerbread cookies?