The Town Hall of Aachen is located near the cathedral. It was built in 1353 on the foundation of the northern part of the palace of Charlemagne. Only the Granus Tower, which is the oldest structure in Aachen, remains. It was built in the year 788.
The Aachen Town Hall was built in the Gothic style. It is very similar to Town Halls in the Netherlands and Belgium. From the cathedral side, the Town Hall of Aachen has the appearance of a medieval fortress, and from the Market Square it is richly decorated. On the facade there is a gallery of kings, where there are sculptures of about 50 German kings and electors.
In the 17th century, the facade of the Town Hall was redone in the Baroque style, but in the 19th century it was returned to its original Gothic appearance. In front of the Aachen Town Hall is the Market Square. In the center of the square there is a fountain with a bronze statue of Charlemagne. The statue was cast in 1620 in the Belgian town of Dinant. The facades of the historic houses of rich burghers overlook the square. The oldest of them is the house of Levenstein (1344).
On the top floor of the Aachen Town Hall is the Coronation or Imperial hall. It was used for celebrations after the coronation of the Holy Roman emperors. The main coronation ceremony was held in the Palace Chapel of Aachen cathedral on the throne of Charlemagne. After that, a solemn event for invited guests was held in the Coronation Hall. These ceremonies took place here from 1349 to 1531.
The walls of the Coronation Hall of the Town Hall are decorated with mosaic panels depicting the exploits of King Charlemagne: "Charlemagne destroys the pagan temple of the Saxons", "Charlemagne leads his army into battle with the Saracens". These frescoes were made between 1847 and 1861 by the artists Alfred Rethel and his student Josef Keren.
