coat of arms shows a split shield in the front, on golden background half a black eagle with red tipped wings, and in the back a silver beam on red background. Achern's flag is red-white-red. The coat of arms has been in use for a long time. The eagle was the symbol of the district court and appears in the seals of the court as early as 1415. When the district was lost to Austria the white beam was added to the seal. The seal later served as the foundation for the coat of arms which is in use to this day. People, culture and architecture Theater Achern is home to the Illenau Theater Achern e. V., a private theater company. Museums The Sensen-Heimat-Stadtmuseum Achern features an original scythe manufacturing facility. Displays also show the history of cutting tools from the Bronze Age through the present. In addition there is an exhibit covering Achern's local history. Buildings The St. Nikolaus Chapel, also called "Klauskirchl", is the symbol of the city. It was built around 1300 and features a round corner tower. The main church in the city, it is a Catholic church, built in 1824 and designed in the Weinbrenner style. Its predecessor was a Chapel of Mary, that was promoted in 1489 to Kaplanei and then again in 1535 to parish. The former Grand Duchy's hospital is also a sight worth seeing. It was built in 1842 and was also the place where the first Protestant services were held in the city. A dedicated Protestant church was not built until 1909. In the boroughs one can find the following churches: Catholic Church of Saint Bernard of Baden in Fautenbach (built in 1955 and 1956), Catholic Church of Saint Nicholas in Gamshurst (built in 1927 in neo-baroque style), Catholic Church of Großweier (built from 1901 in neo-gothic style), Catholic Church of Saint Roman in Mösbach (built in 1862, neo-gothic), Catholic Church of Saint Stefan in Oberachern (built 1903 through 1905 in a mix of neo-classical, late gothic and baroque styles), Pilgrims Chapel of Saint St. Antonius in Oberachern (built in 1763 and 1764), Catholic Church of Saint Joseph (built in 1808, but Joseph's Chapel existed as early as 1686), Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist (built in 1899 in neoroman style, but there is evidence that a chapel exited already shortly after the Thirty Years' War). Events The Stadtfest