European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 24, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Storm photos by Linda White travel editor Day in Aachen Germany is Ilka being turned Loose with a treasure Chest lit the first Bedal element you iric Klo he gems through your fingers watching them sparkle. Then you begin to examine them close up one by one to Admire the intricacies of their workmanship. Aachen s most valuable objects Are in the City Center in a Light Little Circle hat makes them All the More accessible o a visitor whose time is Short. I started with the Cathedral a she Wolf guards one Side of the entry a big Bronze Pine Cone sits opposite. Perhaps they represent a Devil the soul As one legend says or recall he Romulus Remus legend after All Aachen was once Home Al the North Charlemagne s seat at the founding of the holy roman Empire. So much of he Cathedral is closed to visitors that it seems Small inside compared to its vastness outside. The glittering mosaic ceiling gives it a byzantine air. All Sor s o figures Are there roosters stylized Flowers leaves what could with imagination be a Fountain. And Why nol Aachen owes its life to the Healing Waters iha1 Riss there it has been a spa irom the beginning. Central to the Cathedral s Interior Are the 16 massive pillars streaked Black yellow supporting eight stripped Arches. You must step inside the octagonal Chapel they create to see the dome. Filling the Center like some heavy Crown is a huge chandelier donated by the emperor Friedrich Barbarossa especially designed to fit the form of the Octagon. The Pupil is Golden inlaid with precious Semi precious stones inset with six Ivory sculptures. The sculptures Are Heathen made about the year 500 . In Egypt. But even More valuable is the Gill shrine that holds Charlemagne s remains his Marble throne disappointingly simple. More gems Are in store in the Cathedral Treasury just around the Corner. Charlemagne is Here too literally. His Silver bust reliquary contains his Skull Cap an oversized Golden reliquary decorated with Loeur de a town of treasures Lis gift of he French King Louis i. Contains his . The Treasury is full of icons richly embroidered Robes More Rell Quirias. The Treasury within the Treasury downstairs the Church shaped shrine of the Virgin Mary closed off behind Glass watched Over by a red eyed camera. Inside it Are the Lour Greal relics of Aachen Jesus swaddling clothes. Of Mary s dress the Loincloth Jesus wore on the Cross the cloth from the beheading of John the Baptist. It is opened every seven years for the City s pilgrimage. The Square separating the Cathedral the City Hall was practically empty except for a Survey Crow. The Sun spotlighted the City Hall Gratifying by for a photograph but the Cathedral was wearing Green shrouded scaffolding. Children s voices filtered out irom the Cathedral singing school they seemed to be singing something Cossack. Charlemagne is standing on the big Fountain in front of the City Hall. That statue is a copy the real one was moved inside because of vandalism. He stands in a Corner of he lop floor Empire Hall scepter propped on hip. Nib in hand nol such a big Man but impressive. The cily Hall was badly damaged in world War ii but five of the eight frescoes about the life of Charlemagne. Were saved. On the Market Square in the Shadow of the Granus Tower of the cily Hall one finds the coven museum fun of Lovely furnishings from the 17lh 18th centuries. A stoneware Rabbit pan awaits a Cook in the Kitchen in one Comer is an old brass fitted water . The House boasts Soma wonderful ties the Birdcage Motil keeps popping up the Copper brass Are wearing an admirable Shine throughout the carved wainscoting mantles cabinets All harmonize. Upstairs a Row of sight magic lanterns gives us a look at entertainment before there were movies. It s tempting to have lunch at Zum Post Wagen a Lille Beer Slubin he City Hall. Several Low Ceil need rooms Are reached by winding stairs. But you May want to avoid eating there. I asked the waiter what was the specially he pointed on the menu to the Niernberg bratwurst. In Aachen he Only shrugged. Aachen is a City of fountains but Al this time of year the Wator is turned off. The Little boy of the was a bit sad about it. Poised Over a Basin containing Only a few scraps of Orange Peel. The Puppe Brunnen doll foun Ain was a bit More cheerful because people Stop o play with the movable figures. My favorite was the rather dissolute looking Bishop. Aachen is also a City of Antiques shops chinese restaurants but i had no Lime for them wanted to browse in the International newspaper museum. Ii in t so much a museum As a research Institute. Its Only Concession to printing is an old Type setting machine at the entry looking like a sculpture by a madman. Ring the Bell go upstairs. There Are a Taw Glass cased papers on display but since newspapers Are fragile most of hem Are stored in Large wooden files. The ones on show included a couple put out by the american occupation forces just at the end of world War ii. There also was something in English called the Penny Magazine published every saturday by the society Lor he diffusion of useful knowledge. The oct. 23.1883, Issue featured the Aachen Cathedral on the cover. The newspaper museum has a collection of about 140,000 newspapers from All Over the world it is interested in Only first last editions those which record historic events. It does have several issues of the stars stripes a Paris edition from april 20,1945 a German edition irom May 7,1945 10th 251h anniversary editions. Then the card Catalon moves on to the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. Entry to the newspaper museum is free it is open tuesday Friday 9 30 .-1 . And 2 30-5 p saturday in the morning Only. The Cathedral is open every Day 7 am.-7 its Treasury is open monday 9 .-1 ., tuesday saturday 9 . And 2-5 . Sunday 10 30 .-1 . And 2-5 . Entry is 3 Marks Aboul 11.50. The cily Hall is open monday Friday 9a.m.-1 . And 2-5 ., saturday sunday from 10 . Entry is t Mark about 50 cents the coven museum is open tuesday Friday 10 .-5 . Saturday sunday to 1 . Entry is 3 is Al the German Borders with Belgium the Netherlands ii is an easy Day trip irom Cologne Wilh Good auf Barin or rail connections. For information in English Aboul visiting Contact Vermehr Svorin bad Aachen Markt 39-41, d-5100 Aachen. Tel. 0241-32750 City s Gingerbread cookie is a favorite in Aachen ask for Printen a Good place to look Tor souvenirs when you travel is in the pastry shops. Tasty specialities abound like the Printer baked i Aachen Basic recipe is a sort of Anise Flavoured Gingerbread according to Herr Albert of the cafe Albert situated across from Aachen s Lovely City Hall. He has been making Printen since 1920. We sell about eight tons a he said. And that s just one of he dozens of cafes bakeries in sell the cookies. Many bake their own others carry the line of one of the big producers Dolhain or Henry Lamport. The Printen come in a variety of flavors shapes we use the Basic recipe but coat some with sugar others with chocolate others with nuts chocolate Herr Albert said. We also make a soil Printen. By nature Printen Are hard but some people like it soft or can t bite the hard ones. So after in is baked we soften in wild steam then cover it Wilh chocolate to insulate it keep it from becoming hard Printen come in a variety of figures most commonly shaped like a Gingerbread Man with a Row of nuts making buttons Down his shirt front in Large Plain slabs. One symbolic figure produced by cafe Albert is he Winaus. It s a closed hand with Only the Little Finger pointing out. Trial s the Universal sign Lor a changers said Herr Albert if two of us were to meet in new York give this sign then we would throw our arms around each at Christmas time St. Nicholas rocking horse figures Are popular. Herr Albert constructs intricate Panfen houses Here s the Witch s House from Hansel Gretel he said for the Holiday season. Colourful decorations for the houses Lor the Nicholas figures Are made of Marzipan. Like Many of Aachen s cafes the rooms at cafe Albert Are decorated Wilh wooden Printen holds. The holds Are also for Sale. These Are not antique they re All new but they Are handmade exactly like the ones from 200 years ago said Herr Alberl. Printen have been made since about 1700, named Lor the English word print like a press because you push the dough into the form in prints the the cafe Albert also ships the cookies All Over the world. They come in a variety of packages including wooden ornamental Metal boxes. Printen is so popular in Aachen that the City even has a statue of the a Nufert girl. It is by a bakery of course on the Korber Gasse. The cafe Albert is at Markt 11-15. Other producers of Printen Are cafe Niessen at Pont Strasse 70, Alois Flo Derburg at Pont Strasse 26, Printe Fabrik Klein at far Strasse 81 Nobis Prislan whose main shop is Al Ponts Wraase 28 others at Alexandera Rasse 5, 6, is Oppenhoff
