Restoring Charlemagne’s chapel: historical consciousness, material culture, and transforming images of Aachen in the 1840s
Jenny H. Shaffer
In his article of 1840, 'Ueber die Karolingische Kaiser-Kapelle zu Aachen', Franz Mertens lamented the chapel's current state as a 'mutilated representation', and asserted that 'As consequence all changes during its thousand-year existence, [Charlemagne's chapel at Aachen] is so entirely disfigured or cloaked depiction original form requires special work.'1 Noting 'until now' no such work had been undertaken, emphasized 'the rarest building Middle Ages also least known.' Intending to remedy this situation through article, offered what he termed 'restoration' (Restaurirung) Charlemagne's chapel, in images words, 'based absolutely on evident facts which leave margin for arbitrariness.'With focus Aachen, Mertens, an architect architectural historian with keen interest medieval buildings,2 engaged relevance. Certainly, church centre attention many times reasons over course long life, image varying different shifting contexts it was considered part. Within 1840s saw shift understanding treatment providing medievalists today crystallizing remain fundamentally familiar. During decade, Aachen made auspicious entrance into scholarly literature emerging discipline art history, forefront. Simultaneously, well-known restoration extant get underway 1850s continue early twentieth-century, found sure footing remarkable preamble protracted undertaking: reinsertion columnar screen.3These endeavours - both centred pursuit obscured were spurred by shared concerns rundown, altered interrelated importance imperial, Christian, German work. Indeed, turbulent, post-Napoleonic Europe, German-speaking states lurched uncertainly towards become, 1871, nation state, provided common disparate groups. The complex discussions swirling around reveal something intertwined within included, underscore tensions between artificiality strict boundaries: popular scholarly; religious political; local national; past present. These enmeshed movements rooted paper scholars Prussia actuality groups varied cathedral chapter, Prussian government, town's populace diverged significantly their methods results following decades. Yet concomitant, triumphant emerged decade are familiar heart staggering quantity scholarship, primarily German, devoted questions uncovering deciphering Carolingian glittering monument Aachen's town centre.I. Possession power: spolia columns empiresIn but one locus Europe characterized decades turmoil. Continent particular, first devastated Napoleon's relentlessly acquisitive imperial ambitions opening years nineteenth century, then transformed by, still responding to, brought about aftermath French leader's decisive defeat Waterloo. With Congress Vienna 1814-15, prevailing powers Austria, Britain, Prussia, Russia radically redrew map make concrete vision future France kept firmly check continent balance power.Within European landscape loss, change, redefinition, showed obvious signs passing years. …
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