The throne of Emperor Charles

A plain, simple chair stands in Aachen Cathedral. But it is no ordinary chair, and it has a special place in the cathedral. It is more than 1,200 years old and is made not of wood, but of four marble slabs joined together with bronze clamps. Six steps lead up to it. The marble slabs are said to have come from a church in Jerusalem. That church was supposedly built over the tomb where Jesus of Nazareth was buried after his death on the cross. The chair in Aachen Cathedral was once the throne of Emperor Karl, also known as Charlemagne.

Charlemagne ruled the Frankish Empire from 768 to 814. Several European countries later emerged from this empire, including France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands.

On Christmas Day in the year 800, Charlemagne was crowned emperor by the pope in Rome. His empire was called the “Holy Roman Empire”. At the time, he was the most powerful ruler in Europe. Today, he is sometimes called the “Father of Europe”. Charlemagne liked to stay in Aachen. The location was very convenient, and the emperor also valued the hot springs there. He had a royal palace built, which became the centre of the empire. Such a royal palace was also called a “Pfalz”. In those days, a king had to travel around a great deal to defend his realm and his power.

The royal palace in Aachen also included St. Mary’s Church, from which Aachen Cathedral later developed. It was more magnificent than any other stone building north of the Alps. The interior was octagonal. The emperor’s throne stood in this church. He sat there when he attended a church service. Many of his successors were crowned in this church. From 936 to 1531, 30 emperors and kings of the “Holy Roman Empire” ascended the throne of Emperor Charlemagne after their election, to affirm their rule and link it to that of their great predecessor.

When Karl died in 814, he was buried in the Church of St. Mary in Aachen. His remains were moved several times. Since 1215, they have rested in the “Karlsschrein”, which is kept in the choir of Aachen Cathedral. The Karlsschrein was commissioned by one of his successors, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who lived from 1122 to 1190.

Emperor Barbarossa also had a large wheel chandelier made. Its eight large and eight small towers are said to symbolise the holy city of Jerusalem, and the chandelier is another landmark of Aachen Cathedral. - Images: Hamsterkiste (5), public domain (1)