39 
AACHEN. 
Aachen, better known to English people as Aix-la-Chapelle, is the Belgian 
door into Germany. It is one of the largest towns of the Rhineland province 
of Prussia, with a population at the census of December. 1905, of 144,095. Its 
growth during the past 30 years has been steady, yet unmarked by any note 
worthy fluctuation save during the inter-censal period 1895-1900, which saw 
the incorporation of the adjoining town of Burtscheid (1897), whose population 
in 1895 was 15,871. The entire area of the municipality in 1904 was over 
9,785 acres. The following Table shows the increase at each quinquennial 
census since 1875 :— 
1875.. . 
1880.. . 
1885.. . 
1890.. . 
1895.. . 
1900.. . 
1905.. . 
Census Year. 
Population. 
79,606 
85,551 
95,725 
103,470 
110,551 
135,245 
144,095 
Increase. 
Increase per cent. 
5,945 
10,174 
7,745 
7,081 
24,694 
8,850 
7- 5 
11-9 
8- 1 
6-8 
22-3 
6-5 
The incorporation of another township, Forst, since the last census 
increased the population to 151,971. The area of the municipality is now 
12,650 acres. 
The population of Aachen is less recruited from the outside than is the 
case with the centres of the Rhenish engineering trade. It is estimated that 
70 per cent, of the inhabitants are indigenous. 
The town’s industrial importance lies in the fact that it is the centre of 
high-class cloth manufactures. 
The most striking feature of the ground-plan of Aachen is an inner 
ring of streets surrounding the oldest part of the town, in the centre of 
which stand the Minster and the Town Hall. On the site of this ring were 
the earliest walls, ballia and moats, and the streets which form the rude circle 
are still called “Graben” (moats). The first important extension of the town 
in the Middle Ages carried it beyond the limits of the original walls, especially 
to the north, south and east. Around the extended town fortifications were 
similarly placed, and the track of these is seen in a second and still more 
irregular ring of streets, several of which are likewise called “ Gräben.” Within 
the inner ring of “ Gräben ” the streets are very narrow, save where clearances 
have been made ; and within the second ring there is never any space to spare ; 
beyond the limits of the old town, however, fine streets stretch out in all 
directions, and a good deal of planting has been done. Open spaces have also 
been set apart as playgrounds. 
What the new Aachen, as designed, is to be like is shown by the 
spacious avenues which have been created in the north of the town during the 
last few years. To some extent the town may be said to have its future in its 
own hands in this respect. For some years, under the direction of the present 
Chief Mayor, the municipal authority has purchased large areas of land, all 
of which,' sooner or later, will come into the market for building purposes. 
These building areas have already been laid out, and by the possession of them 
the Town Council is at any time able to determine, within certain limits, in 
which directions town extensions shall take place, and so to check the manipu 
lation of the estate market by private persons. As soon as the Town Council 
sells land in one place it buys again elsewhere, for the plan is followed of 
keeping in constant circulation the funds used in this way ; none of the profits 
on sales are ever used towards reducing the rates. But the town has gone 
further, for it has purchased a large forest, on the outskirts, to serve for all time 
as a public park. In 1905 the town’s estate had an area of 4,087 acres. It is 
literally true that the development oí the town has been planned for years to