Neues Kurhaus

The Neues Kurhaus stands in Aachen beside the Stadtgarten, its neoclassical façade facing Monheimsallee. Built between 1914 and 1916 by Munich architect Karl Stöhr, the design was reviewed by Theodor Fischer. The building replaced the Maria-Hilf-Spital, a 386-bed hospital moved to make room for the new house of cures. The house once held two concert halls, the larger seating 850 guests, plus reading rooms, smoking rooms and two ladies’ saloons. A wine terrace lit by electric bulbs overlooked the concert lawn. During the Second World War the building suffered heavy damage and reopened in 1953 for concerts and carnival events. Later it housed a casino and a disco until 2015, when the city began a full renovation. Visitors now see a two-storey building with a six-column portico topped by a pediment carved with figures of Æsculapius and two Nereids. Inside, a barrel-vaulted vestibule once displayed a gallery of paintings and statues of Charlemagne and Wilhelm II. The main hall still shows its original apsidal form. Beyond the terrace and fountain, the Stadtgarten’s pergolas and paths invite a stroll among greenery.