hey what's up guys we are here in elisenbrunnen one of the earliest
sites of the springs here in aachen, let us see what we can find.
The elisenbrunnen is one of the most popular tourist attractions in aachen
it all started when the romans built the first settlement in the aachen basin
in the last century bc they exploited the healing properties of the hot springs
they erected a first thermal spa by the town hall on the site of today's cathedral and probably also
on the marketplace even after the end of the roman period in the middle of the 5th century
parts of this large spa complexes remained intact
like the romans before him the carolingian emperor charlemagne
treasured aachen for its sulfurous thermal springs
he enjoyed exhalations from natural warm springs his biographer einhard reports he used not only
to invite his sons to his path but his nobles and friends and now and then a hundred or more persons
sometimes bait with him charlemagne is said to have permanently moved his residency to aachen
mainly because of the beneficial effects of the spa pets which were heated naturally by
the eifel volcanos the thermal springs gave him a relief from the ailments of old age later in
life from at least 765 on the carolinian kings of franconia used aachen as their winter palace
in the middle ages and early modern era more thermal springs were made
accessible at other locations in town and new bath houses and infirmaries were built
aachens' cloth makers used the hot thermal water to fool and rinse the wool after dyeing
in the 17th century under the influence of the spa
doctor franciscus blondel aachen's heyday as renowned health and spa resort began
its thermal water was used for more than internal and external treatment of rheumatism, inflammations and
skin diseases organ damage, poisoning, syphilis, asthma, mental distress and other ailments
in later centuries prominent figures from all over europe followed the franconian emperor's
example and visited the thermals spas to treat their illnesses such as sar peter the great
the composer georg frederick handel the prussian king frederick the great
the swedish king gustav iii and napoleon's wife empress josephine today the elisen
brunnen is the most significant relic of aachen's history as a prestigious health resort and spa
it was named after a princess elizabeth ludovika von bayern known as elise one of the daughters
of king maximilian the first of bavaria on november 29 1823 she married the future king
of prussia frederick william iv and the aachen town council commemorated this occasion by dedicating
a fountain to the bride the white marble building was constructed between 1822-27 a few years after
aachen came under prussian rule designed by johann peter cremer and karl friederich schinkle the
fountain building in classical style was erected on the remains of the medieval barbarossa's wall
the central rotunda is flanked with colonies to the left and right each leading to an atrium
the left atrium serve as function room for spa imperial guests in a restaurant initially the
right atrium house a music room in a refreshment room for spa guests then from 1886 billiards room
from 1824 to 1938 a drinking fountain sourced from the nearby kaiserquelle or emperor spring
it was located on the lower floor of the rotunda with two wide flights upstairs leading down to it
the mineral water from the springs burbles out of two integrated drinking fountains
at the temperature 52 celsius the water which is highly sulfurous
creates a well-known smell of rotten eggs in the pump room
sulfurous water is said to have a particular healing properties
and baiting or drinking it can apparently help heal a wide range of different ailments
however due to its contents the water may no longer be drunk
fresh from the fountain since the law on medicinal products describe that spa water
with a special chemical composition may only be drunk under supervision from a medical doctor
in the following centuries aachen was transformed into a fashionable health and spa resort a luxury
spa complex was erected around the city for distinguished guests from all over europe
a multitude of new spa buildings bath houses parks promenades ranking
fountains hotels and ballrooms dominated the townscape in the 18th and 19th century
spa guests devoted their time to theater dancing gambling and other amusements
during the first world war a new spa district with a large spa complex and the luxury hotel was built
in the other side of town but in the summer of 1943 the elisenbrunnen was almost completely
destroyed by aerial bombs but was faithfully reconstructed between 1948 to 53. the world famous
architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe who was born in aachen was a strong supporter of an altered exact
copy of the building visitors to the city can now admire the representative structure as it pumps
water from the kaiserquelle as it looked when it was built in the beginning of the 19th century
the elisengarten a small park designed in 1852-54 by the well-known prussian landscape artist
peter joseph lenne is located just behind elisenbrunen and was redesigned from 2007 to 09
by landscape architects lutzow a number of bad complexes were destroyed in the second
world war in the last grand space closed down between 1960 and 2001.
the carolus thermen which opened in 2001 resumes the long tradition of spa culture in aachen
though not as elegant and popular as the decades before aachen in its thermal springs
are still popular to locals and the elisenbrunnen is the symbol of its colorful history
so guys that's it for elisenbrunnen until next time
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