AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, -In-sha'per,Ger. AACII EN (named from its springs, Lat. Aquw, and the palace chapel). A city of the Prussian Rbine Province, and capital of the government district of the same name, situated in a valley near the River Wurin, about 40 miles west of Cologne (Map: Prussia, B 3). The city is divid ed into the inner or old town, the outer or new town, and the suburb of Burtscheid. The streets are generally broad and well paved. Among the principal ones are the Theaterstrasse, Hochstras se, and Wilhelmstrasse. The most important public squares are the Ma rktplatz, with the bronze statue of Charlemagne, the Mfinsterplatz, and the Kaiserplatz, with a large, handsome fountain. Its private houses are for the most part handsome modern buildings, and give the city a thoroughly modern appearance. With the exception of its two or three public buildings and churches little of the ancient town remains. Its former ramparts have been leveled and turned into promenades, and only two of its old gates remain standing. Foremost among the public buildings of interest is the cathedral, a most striking specimen of various styles of ecclesi astical architecture. The oldest portion, which probably dates from the year 796 A.D., is an octagonal chapel, surrounded by a gallery and surmounted by a cupola built in the Byzantine style. A stone in the floor marks the supposed burial place of Charlemagne, and above it hangs an immense chandelier of gilded copper. The choir, dating from the fourteenth century, and built in the Gothic style, marks the second period of construction. The Hungarian Chapel, built in the early part of the eighteenth century, contains the sacred relies, Nvhivli are exhibited to the populace every seven years. The other ehurches of great age are those of St. Foilan and St. Paul, with tine stained glass windows. In the Alarkt nlatz stands the Gothic Ilathhaus, built on the site of Charlemagne's palace. and containing the famous and Hume/Ise coronation hall of the Ler man man emperors, de orated with frescoes depicting scenes front the life of Charh•tna!rne. The Rath haus is tlanked by towers. of which, the Granusturm, dates from the thirteenth century.
The city's affairs are directed by a munici pal council of thirty memla rs and an executive board of live. Aix-la-Chapelle has an excellent system of sewers, carry the refuse into the river. The yearly expenditure is about $2000, or about cents per capita, compared to Pots dam's per capita expenditure of about 21 cents, The city has owned and operated since 1880 large water works, which net it annually about $35,000. It has an organized fire department, upon which it expends annually the sum of about $16,000. The icas works are in the hands of private companies, which pay the eity a tax of about half a cent for each cubic nteter sold for lighting purposes. and about a quarter of a cent
on each cubic meter sold for cooking purposes. The city an electric light plant, which, how ever, is leased to a private eompany. Aix-la Chapelle has quite a number of parks and prom enades, including a munieipal botanical garden, on which it expends annually about $13,000. Its educational institutions include free gym nasiums, a splendidly equipped technical high school, an industrial high school, an art school, a teachers' preparatory school, and a deaf and dumb school. There are six public libraries. he municipal 10)1%11.3% containing about 100.000 volumes. The commerce of Aix-la-Cha pelle is of considerable importance. Its prin cipal industry is wool-spinning and the niannfae ture of cloth, which is exported to all parts of the world. There are also important manufac tures of needles, glass buttons, knives, umbrellas, soap. content, bells, pottery, and crockery. Aix la-Chapelle is advantageously situated as a com mercial centre, being on the Prussian State Rail way and on the line to Antwerp. Lola] traffic facilities are afforded by electric street railway lines within the city, connecting it also with many of the neighboring towns. The hot sot plth• springs of Aix-la-Chapelle are celebrated. They are frequented yearly by. about 20,000 vis itors. The principal spring is the Kaiserquelle, with a temperature of 130° F. In 1890 the pop ulation of Aix-la-Chapelle was over 103,000; in 1900, 135,000.
Aixda-Chapelle was called Aquisgranum by the 1tomans, who frequented the place in great numbers on account of its warm springs. Under the Frankish emperors it enjoyed great prosper ity. Pepin erected here a fine palace in 765: Charlemagne made the city his home and lav ished favors upon it. Between 813 and 1531, the Roman emperors were crowned in Aix-la-Cha I and seventeen imperial diets assembled there. Prior to the Reformation. Aix-la-Cha pelle was one of the most flourishing of the free imperial cities of Germany. The removal of the imperial coronations to Frankfort marked the end of a •ity's splendor, while the religions troubles of the sixteenth and seventeenth centu ries, and a disastrous fire in 1656 hastened its decline. In 1793 it was taken by the French, but was ceded to Prussia in 1815. Consult: Stiibben. "Aachens Bebauungsplan and Bauliehe Zukunft," in the Deutsche Hair:eitung (Berlin, 1880) ; Drapcyron, "Aix-la-Chapelle et Charlemagne." in the Rcrue de (Mographic, Vol umes NIX. and XLVI. (Paris, 1899) ; "Reform:I tionsgeschichte Aachens." in the HimtoriNche Po/ Him-he RI \ Amite II I. ( Alunielt, 1901).