The cathedral suffered 14 hits by World War II aerial bombs but luckily didn，t collapse； reconstruction was completed in 1956. In the northwest tower，s base， an emergency repair carried out with badquality brickstones taken from a nearby war ruin remained visible until the late 1990s as a reminder of the War， but then it was decided to reconstruct this section according to the original appearance. It is possible to climb a spiral staircase to a viewing platform about 98 metres above the ground.
In 1996， the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites. However， in 2004 it was placed on the “World Heritage in Danger” list.
The Aachen Cathedral
亚琛大教堂
该座宫廷教堂整体结构呈长方形，屋顶为拱形，修建于公元790年到公元800年查理曼大帝时代。这座教堂的灵感来源于罗马帝国时代的东方式教堂，在中世纪时夏佩尔宫又添加了许多华丽的装饰。
亚琛大教堂是德国着名的教堂，位于亚琛市。亚琛是德国最西部的城市，邻近比利时、荷兰边境。亚琛是在罗马帝国时代，就享有盛誉的温泉疗养帝，查理曼大帝在亚琛营建夏佩尔宫时，就梦想要建成一个罗马般显赫辉煌的城市。中世纪，亚琛已是德国主要的城市之一，是法兰克国王们的常住地，尤为查理曼大帝所喜爱。从10世纪到16世纪，是32位德国国王加冕，以及多次帝国国会和宗教集会的所在地。18至19世纪，这里是国王经常光顾的浴场，二战中，市区部分被毁，战后重建，为一座极富历史和文化气息的城市。
亚琛大教堂是模仿意大利的圣维塔尔教堂建造的，具有拜占庭建筑艺术风格，整个内部以圆拱顶为主要特色。1414年和1884年又分别在两侧建圣坛。1669年加盖拱顶八角形建筑。
教堂由三个不同风格的建筑组成：带有钟楼的门厅部分、十六角型的中庭建筑和哥特式的唱诗班堂。教堂坐东面西，最古老的是中间的双层中庭部分。这里最早有过一个小教堂。公元794~801年，查理大帝命人在它的遗址上建起了他的行宫教堂。这个教堂本来只有一层，地基是一个十六边形。它上面的第二层是19世纪建造的，与门厅钟楼的建造年代相同。这个中堂中间是一个八角形的厅，八角厅四周是一圈回廊，由八个大柱子作为连接点而被分成八个空间。每一个空间的天花板都布满了精美绝伦的马赛克装饰，金色的图案在昏暗的光线下仍然熠熠发光。在二层回廊上有一个大理石宝座，据称是查理大帝当年坐过的皇位，但这个层楼和唱诗班堂不开放。大教堂东部的唱诗班堂是1355~1414年附加的哥特式建筑，它的最里面供着查理大帝的金制遗骨龛。唱诗班堂与中庭的接口处现为教堂的祭坛。大教堂中有很多珍稀宝贝，像大门门厅里的母狼铜像，是公元180年时的文物。大教堂从早上7点开始，每天都举行有多场礼拜仪式。
The Aachen Cathedral， frequently referred to as the “Imperial Cathedral” (in German： Kaiserdom) of Aachen， is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe. Charlemagne began the construction of the Palace Chapel in 786. When he died in 814， he was buried in his own cathedral， and his bones are still preserved in a special shrine.
A great example of Byzantine architecture， the Aachen Cathedral was built by Emperor Charlemagne of the Holy Roman Empire. This Palatine chapelchapel n.小礼拜堂， 礼拜， 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.
The cathedral obtained its present shape in the course of more than a millennium. The core of the Aachen cathedral is the Palace Chapel； being surprisingly small in comparisoncomparison n.比较， 对照， 比喻， 比较关系 to the later additions， at the time of its construction it was the largest dome north of the Alps. Its fascinating architecture with Classical， Byzantine and GermanicFranconian elements is the essence of a monumental building of great importance： for 600 years， from 936 to 1531， the Aachen cathedral was the church of coronation for 30 kings of the Holy Roman Empire.
In order to bear the enormous flow of pilgrims in the Gothic period a choir hall was built： a twopart Capella vitrea (glass chapel) which was consecrated on the 600th day of Charlemagne，s death.
Ever since， the magnificent architecture of the “glass house” of Aachen has never stopped being admired. In 1978， it was one of the first 12 items to make the entry into the UNESCO list of world heritage sites， as the first German and one of the first three European historical ensembles.
The Aachen cathedral treasury displays sacralsacral adj.祭典的， 圣礼的， 荐骨的 masterpieces of the late Classical， Carolingian， Ottonian and Staufian period - among them there are some unique exhibits like the “Cross of Lothair” the “Bust of Charlemagne” and the “Persephone sarcophagus”. The Cathedral Treasury in Aachen is regarded as one of the most important ecclesiastical treasuries in northern Europe.
In 1000， Otto III had Charlemagne，s vault opened. It is said that the body was found in a remarkable state of preservationpreservation n.保存， seated on a marble throne， dressed in his imperial robes， with his crown on his head， the Gospels lying open in his lap， and his sceptre in his hand. A large picture representing Otto and his nobles gazing on the dead Emperor was painted on the wall of the great room in the Town Hall.
In 1165， Emperor Frederick Barbarossa again opened the vault and placed the remains in a sculptured sarcophagus made of Parian marble， said to have been the one in which Augustus Caesar was buried. The bones lay in this until 1215， when Frederick II had them put in a casket of gold and silver.