Eschweiler (, Ripuarian: ) is a municipality in the district of Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany on the river Inde, near the German-Belgian-Dutch border, and about east of Aachen and west of Cologne. History Celts (first ore mining) and Romans (roads and villae rusticae). 828 First mentioned by Einhard, the biographer of Charlemagne. 1394 Coal mining first mentioned. For some centuries part of the Duchy of Jülich. 1678 Completely destroyed except one house and the valuable leather Pietà. 1794 To France. 1800 French municipal rights and capital of the Canton of Eschweiler in the French Département de la Roer. 1816 To Prussia. The French Cantons of Burtscheid and Eschweiler are put together to form the Prussian Kreis Aachen. 1838 Foundation of the first joint stock company in the then Kingdom of Prussia: Eschweiler Bergwerksverein (i.e. Eschweiler Coal Mining Company) EBV. 1858 Prussian municipal rights. Its quarters Hehlrath, Kinzweiler and St. Jöris are released in order to form the new municipality of Kinzweiler. 1932 Hastenrath and Nothberg become a part of Eschweiler. 1944 Heavily destroyed in World War II, the last coal mine was flooded during the war and never been re-opened. Part of the federal land of North Rhine-Westphalia. 1960s Complete modernization of Eschweiler's downtown and regulation of the Inde in order to prevent the regular inundations. 1972 Reorganization of administration in North Rhine-Westphalia: Eschweiler increases overnight from some 38,000 inhabitants to about 55,000 by receiving the villages Dürwiß, Laurenzberg, Lohn and Weisweiler. Kinzweiler, after 114 years, comes back. 1970s Eschweiler loses seven quarters because of the brown-coal opencast mining: Erberich, Hausen, Langendorf, Laurenzberg, Lohn, Lürken and Pützlohn. Main sights Eschweiler main sights include: Artificial lake Blausteinsee ("Blue Stone Lake") the Old Townhall (which is now the restaurant and conference wing of a hotel) two pilgrim churches main parish church of St. Peter und Paul with the Leather Pietà from 1360 the chapel dwelling house of the former Cistercians nunnery of St. Jöris, skull relic in St. Jöris' church, baroque altar in Hehlrath's church Old Mill of Gressenich. Also present is a series of castle and manors: Castle of Eschweiler (only three towers from the 13th century are left) Castle of Kambach (beautiful water castle besides the golf course) Castle of Kinzweiler Castle of Nothberg Castle of Palant Castle of Röthgen Castle of Weisweiler (only the towers and the outer walls are left) Manor of Broich Manor of Drimborn