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The Treaty of 1748 -Aachen Germany

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The ancient Imperial City of Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) is a Cathedral city and spa in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located at the frontier where Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands meet. It has been visited for its thermal springs since Roman times, and the spa facilities continue today. Aachen is inseparably connected with Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor from 800, who selected this spot as the center of his vast Frankish empire. The 14th-century town hall (Rathus), containing the Hall of the Emperors, is built on the site of Charlemagne's palace.

Two treaties of peace were concluded at Aachen during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

By the first, dated 2 May 1668, Louis XIV was compelled, by the Triple Alliance between England, the Netherlands, and Sweden, to abandon the war against the Spanish Netherlands, to restore the Franche Comte, which he had conquered, and to content himself with twelve Flemish fortresses.

The second treaty, dated 18 October, 1748, put an end to the War of the Austrian Succession and resolved some North American issues between England and France . In 1793 and 1794, Aachen was occupied by the French, incorporated with the French Republic in 1798 and 1802, and made the capital of the Department of the Roer. In 1815 Aachen became Prussian territory.

The congress or conference of Aix-la-Chapelle, held in the autumn of 1818, was primarily a meeting of the four allied powers -Great Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia - to decide the question of the withdrawal of the army of occupation from France and the nature of the modifications to be introduced in consequence into the relations of the four powers towards each other, and collectively towards France.

A great example of Byzantine architecture, the Aachen Cathedral was built by Emperor Charlemagne of the Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne himself had overseen the construction work, until it finally complied with his wishes. What they actually had built was a palace for him, of which now only the church remains.

 

During the 14th and 15th centuries new features such as the choir were added to the church, in the then fashionable Gothic style. More additions followed in the following centuries, the 74 meters high tower as recent as 1884. Obviously, this permanent (re)construction of the Cathedral lead to a mixture of styles.

The cathedral, in which Charlemagne is buried, has a Gothic choir, completed in 1414. The Palatine chapel dates from the 9th century.

This Palatine chapel, with its octagonal basilica and cupola, has long been regarded as one of the greatest achievements in Cathedral construction. Originally inspired by eastern churches of the Roman Empire, splendid facings were added during the course of the Middle Ages.

Charlemagne's relics are exhibited to the public every seven years there was an exhibition in 2000. The Holy Roman Emperors were crowned here from 813 until 1531. Charlemagne died in 814, and was buried in his own Cathedral. His bones are still preserved in the Shrine of Charles.
 
In World War II, Aachen was the first German city to be taken by the Allies when it was captured by the US 1st Army in October 1944 a large part of the city was destroyed and has since been rebuilt.

Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia tells us that “Today the city is an important railroad junction and industrial and convention center. The major manufactures include machinery, processed food, marzipan, chocolate, gingerbread, railroad equipment, and textiles. Aachen produces about 20 percent of Germany's woolen products”.

 

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