What Aachen stands for

For twelve centuries, the cathedral of Aachen has been a favourite destination for religious visitors and art lovers. Today it is considered one of the best-preserved examples of architectural heritage from the Carolingian period. In 1978, Aachen Cathedral was the first German world heritage site to be included in the UNESCO list. The people of Aachen will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of this award in 2018.

... that is what the people of Aachen call an umbrella in their dialect – the "Öcher Platt". Together with fabric goods and needles, they were the city’s top export in the past. In around 1900, the city still had 29 needle factories – and the screen manufacturer Emil Brauer produced a daily quota of 10,000 umbrellas, which were shipped all over the world in its heyday.

What do Winston Churchill, Bill Clinton, Pope Francis and – since 2018 – Emmanuel Macron have in common? They have all won the Charlemagne Prize of Aachen that has been awarded every year since 1950. Well-known people who have been of outstanding service to Europe and European unification deserve to be recognised. At the heart of the Charlemagne Prize is the objective of engendering international understanding from the beginning to the present day.

In 801, the Indian elephant Abul Abbas of Baghdad was sent on his long journey to Aachen. He was a gift from the Caliph to Emperor Karl and he arrived at the city on July 20, 802 after crossing a total of 5,000 kilometres. Soon after, in 810, Abul Abbas died after crossing a river.