Aachener Printen & Karl der Große

Nobis Printen Store Window, near the Aachen Dom

Aachen, Germany is just a half hour drive from Maastricht. Our friends Mary Jane and Victor are visiting from Pennsylvania, and one day while Jim was at work we went to Aachen to see the famous cathedral there (the Aachener Dom). Near the cathedral we passed some delightful store windows that had delicious displays of lebkuchen, which is similar to gingerbread. One store, Nobis Printen, was filled with beautifully decorated lebkuchen. Edible owls and hedgehogs were in one of its windows, and a lebkuchen version of the Aachener Dom was in another. I bought a bag of Aachener Printen to take to the folks back home. These are spicy cookies that were originally "printed" with impressed designs. Bakers in Aachen began making Printen in the 15th century, and today the name Aachener Printen is a protected designation, so all manufacturers who make it are found in or near Aachen.

18th century Aachener Printen

Medallion on one of the Wolf Doors

The Aachen Dom is the oldest cathedral in Europe. Its construction was started in 796 by the emperor Charlemagne (Kaiser Karl der Große). The Dom has been added on to over the ages. Parts of the original structure still remain, including huge bronze entrance doors called The Wolf's Doors, which were cast in Aachen in the 8th century. Upstairs, in the church gallery, we saw the "throne of Charlemagne" (although it's not definite that Karl der Große ever actually sat in it). The throne is made from slabs of marble. When in use it was probably covered by tapestry cloth. Between the years 936 and 1531, 32 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned while seated in this simple throne.

Charlemagne's throne; the 6 steps leading up to it were carved from an ancient column.

The Aachener Dom's sacred nappie box.

The cathedral is also famous for its holy relics. When Charlemagne died in 814 his remains were placed in a vault in the cathedral. In 1215 the remains were moved to a gold and silver casket, which is on display in the church choir. Also in the church choir is an elaborately decorated golden box called The Shrine of the Virgin Mary, which contains 4 other sacred relics. The following description of the relics comes from the English language guide to the Cathedral: "a dress of the Virgin Mary, the nappies of the infant Jesus, the loin cloth of Christ and the decapitation cloth of St. John the Baptist." The nappies of the infant Jesus? The infant Jesus' diapers are enshrined in the Aachen Dom!! Other descriptions of the relics call it "swaddling clothes," but I like the idea of the diapers. Every 7 years (since 1349!)  the nappies and other relics in the shrine are taken out and put on display for the great Aachen pilgrimage. The next Aachen pilgrimage will be from June 20-30, 2014.

Aachener Dom gargoyle, the Dom's elaborately carved exterior; a contemporary Kaiser Karl der Große 

p.s. Thanks to my friend Mary Jane for some of the Printen & Aachener Dom photos!