• ... shows a time capsule from the foundation stone of the former administration building from 1900.
• The capsule was found in the summer of 1957 during the demolition of the old administration building at Katschhof.
• Included were a certificate of the laying of the foundation stone, numerous coins in circulation at the time, stamps and all the daily newspapers published in Aachen on the day the foundation stone was laid.

When the old administration building at Katschhof was demolished in the summer of 1957, construction workers found the foundation stone of the old building in the masonry of the tower. Embedded in this foundation stone was a large, soldered lead drum with a glass container inside.

Well-preserved contemporary testimonies

He was also supposed to protect the contents of this time capsule: a certificate for the laying of the foundation stone in 1900, numerous coins in circulation at the time, stamps and all the daily newspapers published in Aachen on the day the foundation stone was laid: the Catholic-conservative Echo der Gegenwart, the Christian-social Volksfreund, the politically independent Politisches Tageblatt and the liberal newspapers Aachener Post and Aachener Allgemeine Zeitung. The protective measures for these memorabilia had proved successful: Everything was well preserved.

Certificate for the laying of the foundation stone

The richly decorated document from the capsule reads as follows: "In the name of God. Today, on June 22, 1900, in the 13th year of the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II, King of Prussia, in the 23rd year of the Pontificate of Pope Leo XIII, the foundation stone was laid under the Mayor of the City of Aachen Philipp Veltman for the municipal administration building to be built according to the award-winning design of the architect Friedrich Pützer under the direction of the city planning officer Joseph Laurent."

The administration buildings at Katschhof

The foundation stone was laid six months after the start of extensive demolition and earthworks. The building was opened on 14 May 1903. It was badly damaged during the Second World War, but this was not the only reason for its demolition, as the historicizing style of the building no longer corresponded to the city's self-image.

The old administration building was replaced by a new administration building, which is now a listed building. In addition to the Centre Charlemagne, it houses various administrative departments, the political groups and the Lord Mayor. The lead capsule found in 1957 and its contents are now kept in the city archives.

Source: Aachen City Archives, SLG 502-AA 42; PHOTO 61-III 6