Church of Saint James, Aachen: Distant view of spire looking down towards the Jakobsplatz

Dedicated to James, it is the first stop on the Camino de Santiago from Aachen Cathedral to Santiago de Compostela. The first documentation of the church is from 1215. Medieval pilgrims believed the church was founded by Charlemagne. The original building was demolished in 1885 (the stones were used for the construction of the new steeple) and replaced by the present church. For the Jakobskirche at Aachen, the tower of which is a city symbol, Wiethase returned to the 'Hohenstaufen' style. The interior was rebuilt from 1949 to 1953 after bombing in WWII.