The motif impresses with its depth of content. Two contemporary pictorial elements - the emperor's personal monogram and the octagon of Aachen Cathedral - are moulded into a central work of art in its own right. The dynamic sculptural design is an innovative tribute to this outstanding figure in European history. The motif was designed by the artist Tobias Winnen from Berlin.
Charlemagne was born on 2 April 748. After the death of his father Pippin, he pushed ahead with the expansion of his empire in a mixture of reactions to favourable political constellations and active expansion. He subdued the Lombards and Saxons and also invaded Bavaria. From there, he led a military campaign against the Avars, a non-Christian equestrian people in what is now Hungary, whom he finally defeated in 795.
One of the pillars of power on which Charles could rely was his alliance with the papacy. When Pope Leo III succeeded in returning to the Tiber after an assassination attempt only with Charles' help, Charles was de facto ruler of Rome. Charles was thus able to assert his claim to the imperial throne and title and was crowned emperor in St Peter's Basilica on Christmas Day in 800. The Western Empire he founded was to last for around 1,000 years and was not dissolved until 1806.
Charles was committed to improving education in his empire. Schools were to be set up in episcopal churches and monasteries, and clergy and monks were to be taught classical Latin. The aim was the uniform organisation of ecclesiastical life throughout the Frankish Empire. A new script was even created, the Carolingian minuscule. Standardised and easy to read, it made a decisive contribution to the dissemination of new ideas and old texts. It is the basis of the cursive script used today.
Charlemagne died in Aachen on 28 January 814. Soon after his death, he began to be glorified as an important and ideal ruler. Even though today the European Union is larger than his empire, Charlemagne still symbolises the idea of a united Europe. Since 1950, the city of Aachen has awarded the Charlemagne Prize to personalities who have rendered outstanding services to the unification of Europe.
