Aachen

Aachen
Panoramic view of Aachen, including Kaiser-Karls-Gymnasium (foreground), city hall (back centre) and cathedral (back right)
Flag Coat of arms
Aachen
Location of Aachen within Aachen district
Coordinates: 50°47′N 6°5′E / 50.783°N 6.083°E / 50.783; 6.083Coordinates: 50°47′N 6°5′E / 50.783°N 6.083°E / 50.783; 6.083
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Cologne
District	Aachen
Government
• Lord Mayor	Marcel Philipp (CDU)
• Governing parties	CDU / SPD
Area
• Total	160.85 km2 (62.10 sq mi)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	245,885
• Density	1,500/km2 (4,000/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	52062–52080
Dialling codes	0241 / 02405 / 02407 / 02408
Vehicle registration	AC / MON
Website	aachen.de

Largest groups of foreign residents
Nationality	Population (2013)
Turkey	6,478
Poland	1,758
China	1,651
Netherlands	1,586
Greece	1,512
Romania	1,025

Aachen (German pronunciation: [ˈʔaːxn̩]) or Bad Aachen, traditionally known in English and French as Aix-la-Chapelle /ɛks.læ.ʃæ.pɛl/, is a spa and border city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was the preferred residence of Charlemagne, and, from 936 to 1531, the place where 31 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned Kings of the Germans.

Aachen is the westernmost city in Germany, located near the borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, 61 km (38 mi) west south west of Cologne in a former coal-mining area.RWTH Aachen University is located in the city. Aachen's industries include science, engineering and information technology. In 2009, Aachen was ranked eighth among cities in Germany for innovation.

The name "Aachen" is a modern descendant, like southern German Ach(e), Aach, meaning "river" or "stream", from Old High German ahha, meaning "water" or "stream", which directly translates (and etymologically corresponds to) Latin Aquae, referring to the springs. The location has been inhabited by humans since the Neolithic era, about 5,000 years ago, attracted to its warm mineral springs. Latin Aquae figures in Aachen's Roman name Aquae granni, which meant "waters of Grannus", referring to the Celtic god of healing who was worshipped at the springs. This word became Åxhe in Walloon and Aix in French, and subsequently Aix-la-Chapelle after Charlemagne had a cathedral built there in the late eighth century and then made the city his empire's capital.