Nagy Károly 1200
The Aachen Exhibitions Commemorating Charlemagne 1200

Summary/Abstract: Charlemagne died in Aachen on 28 January 814. The article presents the three splendid exhibitions entitled “Power Art Treasure” on display in Aachen, favourite residence and burial place of the emperor with the “fl owery beard.” How did the Carolingian rulers build up, secure and consolidate their power? Aachen’s Town Hall is a fi tting and spectacular architectural setting of the exhibition on Power, as it used to be the Coronation Hall of the Holy Roman Emperors. The second part of the exhibition, “Treasure” in the Aachen Cathedral Treasury shows the most sacred works of Latin Christianity, such as the Lothar Cross, a plethora of golden reliquiaries, and the golden shrine of Charlemagne. The last, but most beautiful part of the event is the sectio called “Art” in the Centre Charlemagne, bringing together extremely precious manuscripts, ivory carvings and goldsmith’s works from Aachen workshops that were scattered all over Europe back together again at the place of their creation, from the Godescalc Gospels to the Mondsee Gospels of Prince Tassilo. Europe remembered his “father” in “national” frameworks: while in 1965 the exhibitions stressed international cooperation and the international character of Charlemagne’s empire, in 2014, French, Germans, Italians, Swiss and Belgians went their own way. The three splendid exhibitions in Aachen, Germany did attempt to ring an international bell.

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