Germany · North Rhine-Westphalia – Aachener Dom (Series: Bundesländer II, 5th issue)

Aachen Cathedral (Aachener Dom) goes back to the Palatine Chapel of Charlemagne. The Frankish ruler had it built around 800 as the centre of his palace complex in Aachen. The central building with its octagonal interior was consecrated in 805 in the presence of Pope Leo III. It combined the function of a court church with the political vision of making Aachen the centre of a renewed Western Empire. After Charlemagne’s death, the church became his burial place; his tomb is still located in the cathedral today.

In the Middle Ages, Aachen was closely connected with the monarchy of the Holy Roman Empire. Numerous Roman-German kings were crowned there from 936 to 1531. The coronations took place in Marienkirche, as the cathedral was initially called, and gave Aachen a special political status. Later building phases expanded the Carolingian Palatine Chapel, including the Gothic choir, which is also known as the “Glass House” because of its large windows. As a result, the cathedral combines various architectural phases and makes the development of European sacred architecture visible.

Aachen also has a long tradition as a place of pilgrimage. Several relics are venerated in the cathedral, including the so-called dress of Mary, the swaddling clothes of Jesus, the cloth of the beheading of John the Baptist and the loincloth of Jesus. These sacred objects have been displayed at regular intervals during the Aachen Pilgrimage since the Middle Ages.

The building selected is one that illustrates the history of present-day North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) beyond regional borders. It also represents the Carolingian past, the medieval history of the Empire and the Christian character of Europe. Aachen Cathedral was the first German building to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List (UNESCO-Liste des Weltkulturerbes) in 1978. Its clear and widely recognisable architectural form is also particularly suited as a visual symbol for the state in a coin series presenting the German federal states through characteristic sites and cultural assets.