Aachen - 1200 years after Charlemagne | Discover Germany

Charlemagne. King of the Franks. Emperor in Western Europe. In Aachen, he's everywhere. Charlemagne in gold, in stone, as a marionette, as a coin, as gingerbread. Aachen is always popular with tourists. The old town is small and comfortably slow-paced, with its secluded squares and many fountains. But now, in the anniversary year of Charlemagne's death, special exhibitions are an extra attraction. Valuable exhibit items come from London and Paris, the Vatican, Austria and the Netherlands. Miraculously, they've survived for 1,200 years to tell their stories today. Like the Tassilo Chalice. It was commissioned by the Bavarian Duke Tassilo on the occasion of his marriage to the daughter of a Lombard king. For Charlemagne, it was a clear breach of loyalty. The Lombards were his enemies. So he lured Tassilo into a trap and condemned him to death. He also wanted to show royal clemency and had the death sentence commuted to lifelong confinement in a monastery. Tassilo and his entire family were divided among various cloisters in the Frankish realm. And with that, Charlemagne simply wiped out Tassilo's family. There were no descendants. In contrast, his own family flourished. Charlemagne married five times, had many mistresses and at least 18 children. It's said that about 2% of Europeans can claim their direct descendants of the emperor. Charlemagne and his folding throne were always traveling. That's how he reigned over the many peoples he'd conquered, from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. He was king for 46 years, in only two of which he didn't go to war. His weapons were the secret of his success. Charlemagne had an exceptionally powerful army for the time. The cavalry evolved as a special branch of the military that could be decisive in battle. His army was comparatively well equipped, complete with body armor. And the weapons the Frankish kingdom produced were prized, because they were extremely hard and durable. Even when the anniversary exhibitions close at the end of September, there'll still be plenty of Charlemagne in Aachen. There's the town hall, for example. Today, people marry in the same place the king once celebrated his feasts. You can trace Charlemagne's footsteps with or without a guided tour in Aachen. The imperial seal in the cobblestones points you to all the important places. They include the cathedral. Charlemagne had its foundation stone laid in the year 796. It was a huge structure for its time. In 1978, it became the first German monument to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many German kings were crowned in this church. They went up the same steps Charlemagne had ascended. They sat on the same throne he'd sat on. It's still surprising in its simplicity. But for Charlemagne, the marble slabs had immense value. They came from Jerusalem, the cradle of Christianity. Books from the early Middle Ages are also of enduring value. Charlemagne assembled the most important scholars of his time at his court. Although he himself couldn't write, he reformed and unified calligraphy, introducing the script called Carolingian Minuscule. Until then, there'd only been capital letters. Aachen's International Newspaper Museum shows how, under Charlemagne, lowercase letters as we know them today were introduced. Charles the Great liked it small, for good reason. The widest variety of dialects was spoken. New languages surfaced, the beginnings of German and French, for example. And to standardize them, it was important to have a standardized system of writing. Books have handed down the knowledge of feasting and dining at Charlemagne's court. The Aula Carolina regularly invites people to historical banquets. Even 1,200 years ago, music was part of them. There was fruit, vegetables, game, and plenty of beer and wine. Banquets followed a strict ritual in which, of course, the emperor and his family ate first. And when the Emperor Charlemagne had put down his knife and belched loudly, then the lower ranks, the nobility, could begin. And so it continued down the hierarchy. It's a good thing not all the traditions are still kept up today. But with pate and fresh salad, we can still revel in a modern version of the good old days.